Imphal, March 25: Every branch office of the Manipur State Legal Service Authority should take a big role in ensuring and promoting the rights and maintenance of HIV/AIDS affected children and women.

This was one of the many recommendations made by the one day workshop on HIV affected children held today at Hotel Nirmala.

Inclusion of an exclusive clause for the HIV/AIDS affected children in the Manipur State AIDS policy was another prominent recommendation made by the workshop which conducted an in-depth analysis of the various problems endured by HIV affected children and women like their care and support, their economic hardship, promotion of their rights in society etc.

Establishments of more children homes, improvisation of the existing destitute homes for sheltering HIV infected and affected children and women, lending emotional and psychological support to these children by experts were the other points recommended by the workshop.

Moreover the workshop recommended imparting vocational training and extending loan and grant facilities to HIV infected women so as to ensure self-reliance on economic matters.

As for the orphaned children, it appealed to all concerned to extend all possible support to these child- ren in matters regarding their education, shelter and nutrition in addition to providing them legal aid and awareness through relevant NGOs by opening specific legal cells for them.

Today's inaugural function was presided by Health Minister L Nandakumar, project director of Manipur AIDS Control Society, T Binokumar and Cultural Affairs Specialist of American Centre Karuna as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.

The workshop organised by the Institute of Social Work and Research was sponsored by the New Delhi Embassy of the United States of America.

A documentary film produced by the institute on the hardship and struggle endured by the HIV/AIDS affected children and women of Ukhrul district was relea-sed during the workshop.

Apart from that, a video film was also presented by the Director of the American Centre, Kolkata Susan Shultz.

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