Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2010
There are many reasons for us to be happy for the recently concluded Standard Chartered KL Marathon
2010. The event, touted as one of the most important sporting events of the year, saw the participation of
close to 20,000 runners over various categories, from the fun-filled 1-km Kids Dash, to the awe-inducing
42-km Full Marathon category (which by the way, was successfully completed by our beloved BOT
member, Mr Ralph Dixon. Way to go, Ralph!).
The organiser of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2010 graciously included us as one of their official
charity partners, where donation pledges from corporate sponsors who wish to identify themselves with
the HIV/AIDS cause were made on behalf of MAF. This initiative culminates with a total donation of
close to RM 60,000.
The organiser’s charity drive was also extended to include a programme called
Run for A Cause, where individual runners were given the opportunity to run in
the name of their chosen official charity partner. A total of 31 runners, including
our own staff member Miss April Layla Joseph and our Red Ribbon Celebrity
Fahrin Ahmad, participated in this programme. Collectively, they managed to
raise an impressive RM 17,000 for the cause.
Fans and friends of Fahrin Ahmad pledged a minimum donation of RM 45 to
Malaysia AIDS Foundation, in return for a goodie bag that contained a Fahrin
Ahmad Fan t-shirt, a certificate of appreciation, and a special meet-the-fan
session that was held at the Tun Sambanthan Monorail Station on the preceding
day.
Perhaps the cherry on the cake would be the special cheer squad that was assembled for
Fahrin Ahmad and all the donors who ran for the HIV/AIDS cause. Cheering
competition was part of the official event line-up for the Standard Chartered KL
Marathon 2010. Our team was spearheaded by Dr Zaki Arzmi and choreographed by
our former staff member, Mr Victor Alhabshi. Staff and volunteers of MAC and MAF
comprised the rest of the ten-member squad. At the end of the day, our effort was duly
rewarded when the MAF Cheer Team was placed first, winning a cash prize worth RM
2,000.
PT Foundation
Over the past 22 years, since its foundation in 1987, PT Foundation (PT) has grown to become the most established community-based,
voluntary non-profit making organisation in Malaysia providing HIV and sexuality education, prevention, care and support programmes
for the five marginalised communities most affected by HIV/AIDS. The organisation has three centres in Kuala Lumpur run by 50 staff
members and close to 200 volunteers.
PT started its services with a telephone counselling line in 1987 and this service is still running each night today – answering calls on
sexuality and HIV with a team of dedicated volunteers manning the phones, some of them having been involved since the beginning!
2010 has seen new developments on the outreach that PT does in the community it serves. Specific outreach has been launched in MSM
venues with outreach workers stripping down to their towels to do their HIV prevention work in men’s saunas around Kuala Lumpur.
Male sex workers have now been included in PT programmes with regular HIV education sessions being held at a number of locations.
A specific outreach event for female sex workers (FSW) will be held in Chow Kit on July 31st 2010 called Jom Chow Kit. The event is
targeted at reaching out to FSW who may not have accessed PT services in the past and will be hosted by and feature a number of
celebrities.
Kesinambungan kerja-kerja
intensif untuk menggubal serta
mengemaskini kertas cadangan bagi
permohonan dana Global Fund
Pusingan ke-10 (GF R10)
menghiasi kalendar aktiviti MAC
bagi bulan Jun. Berteraskan respons
bersepadu terhadap risiko dan
kerentanan penjangkitan HIV di
kalangan populasi IDU dan SW
menerusi pemerluasan skala liputan
program-program intervensi seluruh
negara, permohonan GF R10 kali
ini disifatkan lebih kemas, efisien,
dan berasaskan evidens. Perkara ini
dilihat sebagai petanda positif
dalam memenuhi kriteria
permohonan yang, jika diluluskan,
dapat merealisasikan matlamat
Akses Universal negara dalam
membendung epidemik ini.
Selain kertas cadangan in-country,
Malaysia juga terlibat dengan
permohonan dana serantau
menerusi rangkaian Insular South
East Asia Network of MSM/TG and
HIV (ISEAN) bagi kelompok MSM
dan TG. Ahli gabungan MAM,
Yayasan PT terpilih sebagai sub-
penerima dana tersebut.
Penggubalan kedua-dua kertas
cadangan yang berlaku serentak
kini diharapkan dapat
memangkinkan sinergi pemegang-
pemegang kepentingan dalam
memastikan kerja-kerja pencegahan
HIV berterusan.
Bagi pihak MAM, saya ingin
mengambil kesempatan untuk
mengucapkan Selamat Datang
kepada kumpulan pelawat Khmer
HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance
(KHANA) dari Cambodia yang
mengadakan lawatan ke Malaysia
untuk berkongsi kaedah terbaik
program perlaksanaan NSEP.
Bakhtiar Talhah boleh dihubungi
melalui [email protected]
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