Light Up Pune

Olivia and Becky organized an event on Thursday for Wake Up Pune.  Since Diwali is coming up next week they thought it would be nice to incorporate lights since Diwali is the Festival of Lights, along with promoting awareness about HIV.  They came up with Light Up Pune which involved creating a giant AIDS ribbon out of candles.  The location was just a block away from the office in a housing complex.  We started setting up the candles by melting the end and sticking it in our makeshift candleholder (a plastic chai cup) and a huge crowd of people, mainly children watched us for over an hour sticking candles into the little cups and setting up the design.  Just before it got dark we were joined by the DISHA ladies who answered questions and talked to people about HIV then we lit up all the candles and it was so beautiful.  Avinash, the coordinator of DISHA, stood in the centre and gave a talk in Marathi about HIV and we had a moment of silence to remember those who have passed away from AIDS.  It was a very moving and wonderful event and I took lots of pictures, which you’ll see below. 

We have next week off for Diwali and Olivia and I and the other girls in the house plus Prateek and Gaurav are heading to Goa on Wednesday for a few days of fun at the beach. 

Love,
The Wandering Two

Melting wax to stick the candles

Ready to Light Up Pune

Lighting the candles

View of the AIDS ribbon from the apartment 

Olivia and I in the middle

Pav Bhaji at Juice World

Amazing fresh squeezed juices!