Portraits of Commitment - Changing the Course of AIDS

A convoy of seven red, green and blue three-wheeler tuk tuks rolls along Colombo's busy streets, carrying striking blowup portraits that put the HIV/AIDS message out there in a way never before seen in Sri Lanka.

The tuk tuk drivers, proud of their dramatic impact and the curiosity of the crowds, have become messengers for the cause, helping people understand the health issues surrounding the disease and motivating them to step up and respond to HIV/AIDS in South Asia.

The standing and mobile exhibitions organized by the World Bank office in Colombo feature large, sensitive portraits, by renowned Bangladeshi photographer Shahidul Alam, of South Asians who made a commitment to change the course of HIV/AIDS there. In the accompanying text, they share how their experience of the disease made them better doctors, researchers, legislators, citizens or people.