VIVAnews - At the Raka Rai Contest held in Sanur, Bali, Surya won the Raka title from the gay group while Ella Agatha was chosen as the rai from the Rai group.
The participants were motivated to join the competition because they wanted to lift the position of their groups among the society and empower them so they would no longer be considered the refuse of the society.
“The winning has automatically made us HIV/AIDS Ambassadors for Bali. Our job is to educate people about the disease,” Ella, who is working at a beauty salon, told VIVAnews on Saturday, February 20.
Meanwhile, Surya, who is an active field worker, expects people not to put HIV/ AIDS patients off and keep supporting them to live a healthy life.
“We, the transsexuals, also have artistic creativity that should not be underestimated. The gays and transsexuals are also expecting to be known for their positive qualities and not always for their negative sides,” Surya said.
According to one of the judges, Anita, who is also the winner of 1996 Raka Rai, Surya and Ella were chosen as winners because they were able to answer the judges’ questions properly. “They have fulfilled the criteria to be the HIV/ AIDS Ambassadors,” she said.
Bali AIDS Control Commission (KPA), Ketut Sukanata explained that the number of HIV case findings in the region has always been increasing. “It’s a success instead of failure. That means the education for people with risky behaviors can be implemented,” he said.
As of November 2009, 3,181 cases have been listed and the number is believed to be getting bigger. Therefore, it is the job of all parts of the society to overcome the issue in order to eliminate the number.
The Raka Rai Contest also includes categories that are commonly found in any other competitions such as the best catwalk, the best make-up, the best costume, the highest score in general knowledge questions, and the audiences’ favorite participant.
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Coverage: Dewi Umaryati | Bali
Translated by: Nataya Ermanti
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