A student from the University of Montana, USA, contacted me expressing interest in volunteering for my organization and staying at my guest house. I was also looking to initiate a project for sex workers in Benares, so I asked if he would help me organize a program for them. He was very enthusiastic about the idea. Although we didn’t manage to start the program for sex workers due to his busy schedule in Benares and some unexpected tasks I needed to complete, we did distribute pamphlets during the Maha Murkh Sammelan (Biggest Fool Conference).

This festival is uniquely Benares and is celebrated annually on April 1st. This year, over 3,000 people attended the conference. Since Winslow and I were the only ones distributing pamphlets, we aimed to reach around 200-250 people. We set up on the steps of Rajendra Prasad Ghat and began handing out pamphlets. Our target audience was people aged 15 to 45, with a particular focus on those aged 15 to 30. While people were not very interested in taking pamphlets from me, they were quite receptive to Winslow.

Winslow distributed all his pamphlets first, and then I handed him most of mine, so we ended up distributing nearly 150 pamphlets. Initially, we focused on attendees at the festival, but later we wandered along the river, distributing more pamphlets to young people. On April 2nd, Nandlal Master organized an event to inaugurate a water cooler, a computer room, and sewing machines donated to his organization, Lok Samiti. The water cooler was provided by Union Bank of India, and the other items were donated by an organization from South India.

Nandlal had informed me that 600-700 people were expected at the event, so we planned to distribute pamphlets there as well. However, the crowd consisted mainly of children under 10 or adults over 45, so we decided it was best not to distribute pamphlets. Nandlal has also asked me to organize an HIV/AIDS education program for his Kishori centers. These centers are schools run by Lok Samiti and ASHA for girls over 13 years old, with each center hosting about 50-75 girls.

Winslow’s friend, who had lived in Varanasi for a year about two years ago, knew the principal of Delhi Public School and suggested that Winslow meet him. Winslow relayed this to me, and I asked him to inquire whether the school would allow us to organize an HIV/AIDS education workshop there. Delhi Public School is an English-medium school and one of the most prestigious in Benares, if not India. I’ve always wanted to work with English-medium schools because their students are at high risk of contracting STDs, and there’s a lack of sex education in India despite the co-educational system.

This presents a valuable opportunity for me to get involved with English-medium schools, and I am looking forward to it. However, there is a significant issue with funding, which remains unresolved.