SAWED have reached 2,700 youths aged 13 to 25 in Vadugapatti Panchayat villages in Theni District, Tamil Nadu in Southern India with their HIV/AIDS and STD (sexually transmitted diseases) Education and Awareness Programme. Targeting rural youth in schools and clubs, they have been using sports events in the villages to reach young people. The feed back was interesting, there is still a heavy cultural taboo attached to issues of sexual health and many students were scared to ask or contribute to the discussions and all appeared poorly informed about the basic facts. The general consensus was positive and from a zero knowledge of the HIV/AIDS virus and how it is spread SAWED felt they had achieved a great deal and made the young people they reached aware of its dangers and risk.  

 

 

Theni District is bordered by Dindigul District in the north, Madurai District in the east, Virudhunagar District in the south and the state of Kerala in the west. With an area of 3,244 sq km, Theni District has a population of over 1.9 million. Tamil and English are the languages spoken.

Theni District is surrounded by green stretches of cultivated lands and tea gardens. Crops like paddy, sugarcane, cotton, coconut, groundnut and various kinds of fruits and vegetables are being cultivated. Cotton spinning mills and sugar mills are the major industries.

Theni District has a delightful mixture of tourist attractions such as captivating dams, waterfalls and countless pilgrim centers. Vaigai Dam, Southuparai Dam, Kumbakarai Falls, Sri Kamatchi Amman Temple, Devadanapatti, Velappar Koil and Suruli Falls are the major tourist attractions