BANGALORE: Samara, an organisation for sexual minorities, has bagged a direct contract worth Rs 1 crore for HIV prevention programmes in Bangalore city for a year from the Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT).Announcing the bagging of the contract on Wednesday, Country Director of Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT) Dr Stephen Moses said, "A strong community involvement in the HIV programme has made Karnataka a leader and a model in the country in communityled prevention and the early leadership of organisations like Sangama and Samara has brought communities to the forefront."For the past six years, Samara, a community organisation aimed at the prevention of STDs and HIV among sexual minorities, sex workers and people living with HIV, has been working in coordination with Sangama, another NGO working towards a similar cause.Samara, functioning in 11 districts of the state, has a membership of more than 1,200 members belonging to sexual minorities and sex worker groups and has been implementing HIV prevention programmes of the KHPT.Sanghamitra Iyengar of Samraksha, a pioneer who has been working with the communities appreciated the transition and said it was a day of mixed feelings.Echoing his sentiments, Shekhar Sheshadri, President Sangama said, "Having grown up till now, Samara taking over from Sangama, is a memorable and happy event."Secretary of Samara Krishnamurhty said, "The achievements of Samara in the last five years is a result of hard work of all the members. It would be a big responsibility to continue the good work forward and we seek continued support from mentors like Sangama and the KHPT."E Manohar,founder of Sangama, and president of Samara Alamelamma were present during the occasion.
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