Since the summer of 1995, they have been travelling to countries across the world, holding classes and seminars with student members under Visions Worldwide, an acronym for `volunteering internationally-oriented students in organising never ending service'.

This youth run NGO, based in the United States has set up chapters in major cities of the country, and sends delegates from time to time to share information on AIDS/HIV with students in the Capital through creative and interactive educational workshops.

"Vision worldwide seeks to address the rapid rise of AIDS/HIV infection through three principal routes--preventive education, local empowerment and international understanding of the health and socio-economic issues associated with the global AIDS," says Siddarth Banthiya, a student from America.

India hasaround 7 million cases of AIDS, and the figure is expected to be 60 million, which is twice the current worldwide number, by 2000. "We hope the projects would make some impact on the lives of millions of those people at risk," says Banthiya, who was part of an eight-member delegation that came to India recently.

One out of three new HIV cases being among people in the age group of 17 to 25, it is alarming news. It's an awareness they are bent on spreading.

"Since its inception, we have conducted workshops for over 30,000 students in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Kathmandu," says Banthiya.

Using question/ answer sessions with students, conducting HIV/AIDS prevention workshops, street plays, poster campaigns, Visions Worldwide involves students in volunteer programme at care centres and rural areas.

"Grassroots movements are a unique and critical aspect of the programme as it ensures long term sustainability of the efforts against AIDS," says Banthiya, who studies at the University ofPennsylvania.

Visions, Delhi chapter, set up last year, consists of two pilot high schools and two colleges working on independent and joint issues to address local AIDS issues, says Vishaal Rana, convener, Delhi chapter. "The activities in these pilot schools and colleges include preparing bulletin boards, anonymous question boxes, debates, discussion workshops, poster contests, dramas, and counselling session," says Rana.

The Visions new Delhi pilot college students have been trained in HIV counselling and plan to start volunteering and conduct workshops in Hindi medium schools.

Each pilot school has three students coordinating activities, and one looking after administration. The coordinators from all the schools meet once a month to discuss their projects and to plan collaborative activities, such as on the World Aids Day, says Banthiya.

However, schools in India have not been very receptive to the idea of allowing such outside intervention to create awareness on AIDS in the beginning. Al HuseinMadhani, a student of theology from Wake Forest University, who had also been part of last year's delegation says many school administrations are initially hesitant, holding that the number of sexually active students in their institutions is as low as two per cent, probably even lower, so AIDS and HIV are not a problem.

"But in the course of our presentation we get a totally different picture. I'd put the percentage at probably 60 per cent,'' he says.

There are of course varying degrees of awareness, concedes Banthiya. "But we find it really interesting as we can help share the information being of the same age.'' Before any delegation arrives in India, they undergo a 10-day training session, says Banthiya.

Funded by various universities abroad, Visions Worldwide recruits motivated students of South Asian origin to establish permanent student-run programmes in its target city areas, says Rana. The organisation is also supported by an advisory council comprising prominent representatives from UNAIDS,Harvard AIDS institute, and Harvard Medical School.

"One must agree that these students have international vision. The presentations these students made have helped students clear doubts on a number of issues pertaining to AIDS," comments the principal of Mother's International School in Delhi.

Similarly the work of Visions Worldwide has come in for a lot of praise from the principals of many of these institutions where they conducted workshops and the like.

For the principal of Ramjas schools, Meeral Balachandran, it was "the rapport with the students, communication skills of the presenters, general commitment to the cause, overall behaviour and ability to adjust and adapt to an Indian situation" that mark the teamwork of Visions Worldwide.

``It's a promising attempt to overcome this global problem,'' sums up Asha Mehrotra, principal, Kalka Public School, in Delhi.