Students at Linfen Red Ribbon School performs in Linfen city of North China's Shanxi Province to commemorate the International AIDS Anti-Discrimination Day on May 26, 2022. Photo: Courtesy of AHF

 


Activities aimed at eliminating discrimination against people living with HIV were held in multiple Chinese cities on Thursday, to commemorate the International AIDS Anti-Discrimination Day with the support of governmental and civil society organizations, including Chinese Association of STD and AIDs Prevention and Control, the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and Xiushi Public-Spirited.

The International AIDS Anti-Discrimination Day was founded by Linfen Red Ribbon School in Linfen city of North China's Shanxi Province, the only boarding school in China to take in children living with HIV. 

Guo Xiaoping, principal of the school started the activity by having lunch together with students infected with HIV 11 years ago to reduce discrimination against HIV carriers and to promote AIDS-related knowledge.

The annual luncheons were also held in several other cities on Thursday, including Hohhot of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nanyang of Central China's Henan Province and Kunming of Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Live events at the school invited more people to participate through a livestream on China's Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo. Officials from Chinese Association of STD and AIDs Prevention and Control, UNAIDS and AHF, as well as several Chinese celebrities sent greetings via video links. 

This year's activities called on more people to be the "umbrella holders" for children with HIV. A teacher named Cuicui at Linfen Red Ribbon School was once a student there. 

She said she chose to come back to the school after college graduation because she'll always remember that a teacher once ate the rice in her bowl and hugged her so tightly that she could feel herself truly accepted.

"The children who received the warmth and encouragement from the 'umbrella holders' will become the 'umbrella holders' of the future," said Guo.