Jakarta preparing for int'l AIDS Day

Jakarta preparing for int'l AIDS Day

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian AIDS Foundation is organizing a
series of events ranging from music concerts and discussions to a
golf tournament and charity bazaar in conjunction with
International AIDS Day, which falls on Dec.1.

An Italian chamber ensemble, Nuova Cameristica, will kick off
the activities with a classical music performance at the Regent
Hotel on Oct.30.

The highlight of the events is a spectacular dangdut music
show, scheduled to take place at Ancol circuit in North Jakarta
on Dec.2.

"We're focusing our activities on Jakarta because the highest
number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country is in the capital,"
Martina Widjaja, chairwoman of the foundation's executive board,
told a press conference yesterday.

As of last month, the government had recorded 346 cases of HIV
and AIDS in 15 of Indonesia's 27 provinces. Out of the total
number of cases, 82 were diagnosed with full-blown AIDS, of which
50 died.

Some experts estimate that the actual number of people with
the virus to be more than 200 times the official number.

The golf tournament will take place at the Emeralda golf
course on Nov.17, while the French Cultural Center and Taman
Ismail Marzuki Arts Center will screen a film about AIDS,
accompanied by discussions, from Nov.11 through 17.

A charity bazaar, a music show, an AIDS-theme film series, an
exhibition of AIDS posters and cartoons and an AIDS discussion
for youths will be held at the Laboratory High School in
Rawamangun, East Jakarta, on Nov.19.

Psychologist Sarlito Wirawan will talk about AIDS and young
people at the News Cafe in South Jakarta on Nov.25, while Dr.
Kartono Mohamad from the Indonesian Parenthood Association will
give a talk on AIDS at the association's headquarters on Nov.23,

The other activities include lenong (Betawi comedy) shows and
the selling of merchandise to raise funds to fight AIDS.(sim)