In line with the company’s commitment to improve the health of its workforce, as well as following the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration’s decree on HIV and AIDS prevention and control at the workplace (No. KEP–68/MEN/ IV/2004), AMDOCS has taken initiative to approach Angsamerah with a request to provide their employees with comprehensive basic knowledge for the prevention of HIV and AIDS and the reduction of employment-related discrimination against people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS.
AMDOC’s management team understands well that health education, in this case related to HIV and AIDS, is beneficial to both the employees and the employers. Decreased morbidity and absenteeism among employees will not only increase a company’s productivity, but on the long run also lower insurance and workers compensation costs.
Hence, Angsamerah Institution has conducted two interactive education sessions on HIV and AIDS for AMDOCS’ employees in February and April 2016. The sessions were titled “Talkshow with Dr. Nurlan Silitonga”, and as can be hinted from the title, were delivered by Angsamerah’s charismatic founder herself, who has extensive experience as a clinician and public health expert.
Through her unique and passionate way of communicating and engaging with the audience, Dr. Nurlan managed to capture the attention of the participants from the beginning to the end of the session. Among other things, she motivated the participants to care more about HIV and sexual health issues, and she also highlighted the importance of understanding one’s own risk related to HIV and STIs. She then encouraged participants to be proactive about their own health, and the health of their loved ones, and emphasized the benefits of early and regular HIV testing. Furthermore, Dr. Nurlan encouraged the audience to share the newly gained knowledge to other people around them.
Towards the end of each session, Dr. Nurlan made the audience understand the devastating consequences of widespread discrimination and stigmatization of people who are affected by HIV and AIDS and STIs, and skillfully guided participants to free themselves of such negative attitudes and discriminative behaviors. She then ended the session by saying “Lets love our life today”.
Angsamerah is optimistic and hopes that AMDOCS will continue to support this education initiative as part of AMDOCS’s workplace health and safety program. Motivated and healthy employees will surely have a positive impact on the company’s productivity, and lead to a better quality of life for employees.
“Thank you for organizing such an enlightening program. This is indeed not less important than any other CSR activity. We really appreciate it“ Pankaj Kumar Singh, Customer Operations Program Manager, AMDOCS. 26 February 2016.
“It was an attractive education session we had. The ambience that Dr. Nurlan creates is so refreshing and amusing, contrary to the widespread belief that HIV and AIDS seminars or talkshows are boring and scary. Participants were excited and they were not ashamed to ask questions, which all this time were manipulated by rumors and myths. Thank you Angsamerah for giving us not only education & information, but also helping us to see ourselves more valuable in society, and even loving ourselves.” Anasthia Ralahalu, Senior Project Analyst, AMDOCS, 21 April 2016.
