$ 60,800.00 raised in the second annual TANA Foundation / Lepra society HIV/AIDS fund-raising dinner on may 17th at ANTUN,S ,Hicksville, NY. The program started with prayer by Sri Ram Garikapati. Mr.Mahesh Saladi effectively raised the funds as Master of Cermonies. Dr.Rajeswara Rao Patcha welcomed everyone and introduced the speaker Ms.RENUKA GADDE , Director of Global health at BECTON and DICKINSON Corporation, manufacturer of syringes and medial equipment. She highlighted how unsafe medical practices have contributed to the spread of the epidemic in India and across the globe. How everyone of us can make a difference by being engaged in this fight against HIV and other communicable diseases by activism and advocacy.

Video presentation of the project work and testimonies of the beneficiaries were presented to the audience.

Drs.Shalini & Rajeswara rao Patcha generously donated $11000.00 and Tana foundation matched the contributions up to twelve thousand dollars. Several other community leaders donated generously and made the evening a success. Most generous donation was from Sri RAM Garikapati a fourteen year old boy with a divine voice contributed the proceedings ($300.00) of his first CD recording to this great cause. $640.00 were raised by auctioning the jute hand bags made by the women in jute weaving program of SREYASSU PROJECT.

Andhra Pradesh has the second highest prevalance of HIV/AIDS in India. Realizing the impact of the epidemic, two years ago TANA foundation along with LEPRA SOCIETY under the leadership of Dr.Meera S.Boppana started SREYASSU Care & Support program to help PLHA,S (people living with HIV/aids)in the twenty seven villages of Jaggiahpet Mandal ,Krishna District. The program covers approximately million people with its outreach activities. Sreyassu addresses the myriad of complex problems associated with the treatment and care of PLHA,S starting with medical treatment for opportunistic infections at the weekly medical clinic, referrals for Anti retroviral treatment, supervising adherence to treatment, screening for tuberculosis co-infection, prevent mother to child transmission by screening pregnant women and administer Nevipramine. The program also provides nutritional support, livelihood training in jute weaving, sewing, computer training, HIV orphan foster care &education etc. 

Seventy percent of our population lives in villages with poor transport and access to health care. Hence RURAL MOBIL HEALTH CLINICS were launched two years ago covering seventeen remote villages in CHATRAI&MUSNUR Mandals in A.P providing primary and preventive care to all ages. Out of the eleven thousand people living in these villages ten thousand have benefited from these services.

This year TANA Foundation partnering with LEPRA Society would like to launch mobile HIV testing in the three highly prevalent districts of KRISHNA, GUNTUR &PRAKASAM in coastal Andhra Pradesh covering a population of eleven million people.

Audience were entertained to the dances and melodies by Sravya saladi, Shriya Bhumi,Kameswari Kotikalapudi, Srilu and Sri Ram Garikapati. Evening ended with a note ‘We must become the change we wish to see in the world’ — Mahatma Gandhi