HIV/AIDS Awareness Programme

I would like to present you my "Around the World Bicycle Tour for HIV/AIDS Awareness Programme & Presentations about Indian Culture" which began on 27th of May 2004, just two days after I acquired Bachelor of Sciences degree in Zoology at University of Calcutta. I also completed 'Visarad' in Fine Arts at Sarbabhartiya University.

So far, I traveled through 59 countries and made 82.900 km on bicycle from India.

Inspiration for my mission came to me at the age of 14 when I read article entitled "AIDS is Deadlier than Cancer". It was about homeless person who was laid down in front of Medical college of Calcutta, abandoned by his villagers and left to die alone. It made a huge impact on me afterwards and I started asking my teachers in school about AIDS/HIV but they could not give me any answers at all. As a consequence, 2 years later I decided get a specialty training at WBSACS (West Bengal State AIDS Control Society) and begin awareness campaign about HIV/AIDS starting with educating my own teachers. AIDS-related stigma and lack of knowledge about this deadly yet preventable disease motivated me the most. My mission spread first to people from my village, then my country and now it is a global campaign.

Strategy: To educate people from different parts of society by raising awareness among students of schools, colleges, universities and also encourage these institutions to start a chapter on HIV/AIDS awareness program, promote the use of needles & syringes among drug-addicted people and use of condoms for sex workers. My aim is also to bring awareness among the youth and encourage Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the respective countries in the world.

Objective: I am on 191 countries tour and I will achieve this goal with completing my journey in year 2020 . Through my bicycle tour around the world I am attempting to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS through lectures and I am also giving seminars about Indian culture. Focus of HIV/AIDS Awareness programme is on underprivileged poor people, urban/rural and tribal population worldwide who have the lowest level of awareness about this deadly disease.

Short Term Goal: The students, youth and communities who benefit from awareness program will spread it in their societies of respected countries. Besides, I am also keen to present India and Indian culture through seminars.

Long Term goal: To raise the global awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention by educating local people around the world with my mission. 

Achievements: Starting from my native village on 27th of May 2004, till today I traveled 82.900 km in whole India and other countries in Asia to Europe. So far, I reached 59 countries and conducted awareness program for 350 NGOs in 3560 schools, 3750 colleges, 68 universities,139 red-lights areas and numerous roadside restaurants.

I feel honoured to be reworded by 56 Ambassador of India 12 Presidents, 38 Ministers and Government officials in different countries so far. 


You can find videos and newspaper articles by clicking on links below: 

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=SOMEN+DEBNATH&search_type=&aq=f
http://www.google.si/#hl=sl&source=hp&q=somen+debnath&btnG=Iskanje+Google&meta=&aq=f&oq=somen+debnath&fp=d4583e024d66b773
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=somen+debnath&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701


Kind regards


Somen Debnath
India