|
HISTORIC
On February 8, 1990 the dream of José Roberto Peruzzo, GIV’S
founder and first president is fulfilled. In a meeting in CRTA (Center
of Reference and Treatment on AIDS. Nowadays CRT DST AIDS –
Center of Reference and Treatment on Sexual Transmitted Diseases
and AIDS), among people who had participated on the 10th meeting
of patients was born an a idea to form a group to integrate people
living with HIV/AIDS among each other and the society, search ways
in which they could rediscover life, changes in fighting the epidemic,
and still, alternatives to control the evolution of the disease.
On this first meeting were present: Peruzzo, Dinah, Toninho, Jacó,
Flávio, Jorginho, Afonso e Cristal. Who stepped, first this
path. Toninho suggested our name. Green and white were the colors
adapted representing hope and faith in life. Dinah told us a fairy
tale, and we kind like it, the little frogs tale....
The little frog represents people’s
fight against
HIV/AIDS to continue alive, more than this to
live happily!
Once upon a time, in a lake near a farm lived two little frogs.
In a beautiful sunny day they decided to go for a walk. While
walking one accident happened, they fell into a vat full of
milk. Both of them were scared and in dispair one of them said:
- “We’re going to die”!
The other one replied:
- “Calm down, let’s try something! Shaking our legs,
we can get out of here.”
Giving up the other frog said:
-“I don’t think we’re going to make it.
But the optimistic one replied:
- “Come on let’s shake our legs, we can’t
give up....” Even though the effort and fight to live
and cheering of his friend, the first little frog gave up. Sad
and tired the other one continued shaking his legs, he was alone
but alive. He spent so much time doing that, that his movements
worked as a whisk and the milk came into butter. Then he found
his way out of the vat and went back to the lake near the farm
and lived happily ever after. |
Our first years weren’t so easy, difficulties facing the
disease which was getting bigger, and the hard way to get through
other HIV positive, in part because of the prejudice and because
we didn’t have our headquarter. And at this moment the HIV
positive bearers were vulnerable in the fight and evolution of the
disease.
For a while we worked in the house of the founder, till we got at
this house, which was donated in 1993. With our own headquarter
we started to work endlessly.
At the beginning our big challenge was to defeat prejudice and strengthen
relationships among HIV positive people with their relatives and
friends, breaking walls for the lack of information and taboos.
With Valter Galego, the second president it was the moment to strengthen
these matters and to structure the group. José Araújo
the third president, we lived our first debates on therapies to
al l HIV positive people, that’s how we started on the political
activism. From the administration of Eduardo Luiz Barbosa and after,
Cláudio Pereira the activism in GIV got big and bigger. Meetings
with partners, workshops, training volunteers and the focus was
on a political policy and the formation of HIV positive people,
so they were able to work and inform. Beyond that the representations
for which we were indicated brought us interchange and actions in
the social field. Other incentive was the accomplishment of our
goals and the recognition of our activities as a public necessity.
PEOPLE LIVING WITH AIDS AS SUBJECT
OF THEIR OWN STORIES
From the very beginning up to now many things have changed in
our journey and we have many things to tell...
A lot of people were getting together and we realized that we HIV
positive were the ones to fight for our rights, and this is GIV’S
slogan we, HIV positive know what it has to be done.
We built a place where people are subject of their our lives and
stories, they make decisions and fight as a group against AIDS.
At the first moment of GIV, the lack of life perspective and newly
gatherings of HIV positive, friendliness and self help were the
only tools that we had.
However, during this time, the group wasn’t satisfied with
the social exclusion, isolation and lack of life perspective, we
realized that only getting organized we could grow stronger.
That’s how GIV, without losing its friendliness got established.
On this journey got professional. Its activities got bigger (nowadays
we are more than 800 members) developed projects, partnerships with
private and civil organization, other NGOs connected to the AIDS
epidemic fight.
We have been involved technical and political in the most important
demands and decision which will favor HIV positive people and the
AIDS epidemic fight, such as, free medicines, federal meetings between
NGO and, the rights to all HIV positive.
GIV develops works in different fields such as: vaccines, activism,
women, children, teenagers, sustainability; but what we our pround
is that we are opened arms to embrace anyone who look for us, and
with our volunteers team we surely are making people stronger on
this daily fight.
GIV has followed the changes in the epidemic and is opened to any
kind of people who is affected. Today, the group as we call, is
established in a sunny light house in Vila Mariana, where we are
known for our diversity in sexual orientation, gender, racial, economic
or literated level of people who look for us.
UNDER THE WISH OF BEING A VOLUNTEER
GIV is, and develops works based on volunteer work. Its first
volunteers were the HIV positive themselves. With the growth of
the group HIV negative volunteers arrived.
In a first moment, wasn’t so easy because full of good intentions
the HIV negative were only compassion and pity and GIV’s posture
was the other way around.
As time passed we overcame differences of posture. In one of our
activistic journeys was written in big letters the meaning of our
existence: “Nobody is such somebody, who doesn’t need
anybody”.
In our perspective, GIV is a group where we help each other, know
that life in society is to be connected and depend on others. A
volunteer helps but is also helped in learning, loving and caring.
Beyond that, our big struggle is on the role of NGOs, we’re
called the third sector, we aren’t private, neither government.
We are part of society with no political commitment with government.
We are focused on the empowerment of democracy, citizenship, human
rights and making efforts to the human being development.
We have a cause and it’s not only for people living with HIV/AIDS.
HIV positive or negative we are infected and affected by this epidemic.
The meaning of being a volunteer at GIV it’s not to the cause,
but to make part of it.
Today the volunteer team isn’t identified by positive or negative
but for the commitment. The weakness and strengths are all respected
and beyond that we work on the formation of these volunteers to
overcome the limits and fears. We must be in the professional field.
We are proud of our volunteers team for their commitment, solidarity
that show and give on daily routine their best to other and to life.
ITS MISSION AND STRUCTURE
GIV, A GROUP OF MUTUAL HELP, ITS MISSION
IS:
To offer better alternatives of life quality either in the social
or physical spheres and mental health to every person living with
HIV/AIDS.
ITS GOALS AND PRIORITIES
• To contribute to the empowerment of people living with HIV/AIDS
in order to guarantee their basic rights
• To promote the integration between PWHIV and their families,
friends in different areas
• Develop works to support PWHIV/AIDS, their families and
friends
• To look for alternatives to prevent and control the development
of the disease. Provide its members and society with up-to-dated
information.
• To look for integration with other social segments: NGOs,
government, private sector.
• To take part in different ways for more effective answers
in facing the epidemic
• To fight against any kind of prejudice and discrimination
on people living with HIV/AIDS
OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The management of our institution is through General Assembly formed
by all associate members and a Board exclusively composed by HIV
positive members. There is also a controller board and all these
are established by the statute of this institution.
To administrate the activities departments were developed and built
that volunteers are responsible for planning, execution and evaluation
of them.
The Administrative Department, Social Department, Health Mental
Psychology Department, Cultural Department and Events Department,
Projects Department and Volunteers Department.
We count on with a general coordination and consultants that support
and guide theses coordinator and work as a link to the directory.
In our structure we also count on with the representation sectors
external relations which promote the integration between the internal
and external context.
Yearly, we promote an evaluation of these departments and activities.
Plan and establish goals, set priorities. Always concentrated on
continuous formation of our volunteers support and training.
OPENED PLACES FOR LIFE INCENTIVE
The meaning and development of our activities are eagerly connected
to people living with HIV/AIDS, their families and friends.
From the social support to physical-mental hearth, cultural and
leisure, till the need of or better professional formation we know
that we are responsible for changes in our lives and in the lives
of others.
We have tried to break traditional fragments in the human being
and try to see this being as a whole. Following this perspective
there are spaces and activities to motivate life and promote citizen
in different areas such as:
SOCIAL
Many are the necessities of people living with HIV/AIDS, mostly
on the social issue. The evolution of the epidemic has caused material
losses and there’s also a lack of information on the access
to the basic rights. In this field we receive and develop a work
with people who are in need of many aspects.
The most important activities are: orientation counseling basic
information on HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases issue.
What is available to the community, like medication, law services,
NGOs, friendship team which visit the members who are sick.
Which visit the members who are sick.
Donating food for those who are in real need, during a certain period,
until they recover and are able to work.
PHISICAL – MENTAL HEALTH
Prejudice, opportunist diseases, abandon, (including family), problems
at work, financial crisis, many drugs to be swallowed per day, side
effects, and these are some of the problems that can affect the
physical-mental health, from people infected.
To live with HIV/AIDS is a challenge, and to face it, we try to
create spaces that help to balance, give access to deep information
and make people think.
The group offers: yoga, reike, psychotherapy (individual or in group),
workshops, lectures with doctors, dentists or professionals of any
area in need at the moment. Lawyers work self-esteem, debating groups
only for women, and only for men, sexuality and how to eat in a
right way.
CULTURAL AND LEISURE
Facing the difficulties in the social, physical-mental health, spaces
for culture and leisure are important to promote the meeting of
new friends, to discover happiness of being alive.
At GIV, we have a library, with specific publishings on HIV/AIDS.
And at the library lies our memory through photos, newspaper or
magazines, videos.
The group also set meetings to bring people together, happy hour,
playing musical instruments, theater, big lunches on specific dates
on Sundays. Every last Saturday we have a big party for those who
were born on that month. The fact of being HIV positive doesn’t
change the plans for the future.
"...and I thought that my days
were gone. But on that party when they called my name and sang
Happy Birthday to all of us who were born on that month, I realized
that I was alive, my heart was beating in a I-want-to-live-rhythm."
Claudete |
WORK AND PROFESSIONAL FORMATION
To work has been one of the most important pillar of life in society.
Through work people structure their cultural, social and financial
lives. In Brazil is necessary to remember the difficulties that
the workers find in order to get a job. It’s even more difficult
for people living with HIV/AIDS.
To face all these needs GIV created courses on professions such
as, photographer, shoe makers, make-up, hair-dresser, baker, telemarketing,
English as second language, computer classes, sellings techniques.
All courses must be completed within a certain amount of hours,
these courses also include self-esteem and citizenship lectures.
POLITICAL
In a society like ours, where corruption, where people want always
to receive. The citizen rights are forgotten. The same happen to
HIV positive. The idealism of GIV is to motivate the HIV positive
to be subject of their own stories with lectures, workshops debating
teams on social-political fields. Promoting the gathering among
people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
PROJECTS
“ACTION IN SUSTAINABILITY”
The project has as objective to promote the institution development
in order to sustain and to qualify the actions developed living
with HIV/AIDS. To execute this project we count with the collaboration
of our institution professionals and the community. With the financial
support of CN DST/AIDS – Health Ministry – UNESCO.
The specific goals of the project are:
1. To qualify professionals and volunteers to develop actions of
sustainability, techniques in political and financial.
2. To promote the participation of volunteers and qualified technicians
in each specific sector of the institution.
3. Share internal and external experiences from GIV in the building
of sustainability techniques political and financial.
There are continuous trainings for volunteers in the institution,
covering three modules:
• Technical (workshops with institutional view, management
abilities, up to date HIV/AIDS, classes on AIDS historic, institutional
management. Projects elaboration team; courses on specific abilities,
technician on telephoning operator, administrative techniques.)
• Financial – workshops to get resources and partner
identification.
• Political – classes on the awareness of the communities.
• Social – activism and acting strategies. From the
workshops the members of GIV will have a deep knowledge of the institution
its technicians, professionals and volunteers. Function and role
of each one. In this process we have reached a better performance
of the institution and its staff, facing the epidemic.
“GIV had and still has an important
role in my life. When I discovered myself HIV positive the group
gave me the opportunity through others experience to understand
and accept what had happened to me. To participate in courses
and workshops gave me the professional experience and the ability,
capacity to get back to work, and understand the context in
which GIV is inserted.”
Wagner S. Teixeira |
PROJECT: “BUILDING PATHS”
This project has a goal to improve the quality of life, self-esteem
and to prepare people professionally to get back to work, mostly
people living with HIV/AIDS helped in references centers which fight
AIDS. This project is sponsored by CN DST/AIDS – UNESCO.
Through promotion and visits in waiting rooms psychologists from
our institution widespread our activities, projects, workshops technical
courses in a way to open them doors, and in doing so, they can count
on deeply with workshops on: Citizenship, Gender, Adhesion to the
treatment, Family gatherings, DST/AIDS, Sexuality, Pregnancy and
HIV. Courses on: Telemarketing, Computer science, photography and
selling techniques.
During the process we motivate the creation of a group of work which
will implement a cooperative system in a way to strength and look
for partnerships with private companies in order to give financial
support to keep the continuity of the process.
“I was felling lonely, lost, the
last in the world till January 2001, through Grupo Pela Vidda.
I got at GIV. Since then things have changed in my life, I went
through therapy, I do Reiki, I work as volunteer. Now I work
and earn money. It was here that I found solidary friends who
cheer me us, give me strength to fight for life. GIV’s
name is real for me motivated me to live.”
Sandra |
PROJECT: “TO LIVE - CHILD AND TEENAGER
“
The goal of this project is to contribute to the formation solidary
children and teenagers, who respect human diversity and life and
may have tools to face AIDS epidemic.
To conquer this goal we do a work of sexual education which offers
a gap to inform them and help them think on different issues such
as: prejudice, sexuality DST/AIDS, Gender relationships, Body, Self-esteem,
etc.
These topics are brought to them in a playful way – (games,
walks, videos, painting, theater, etc.) – considering the
characteristics of development of these children and teenagers.
The TO LIVE is an opened space to any child or teenager, but mostly
to those living with HIV/AIDS, children parents or relatives living
with HIV/AIDS and also for those who want to know more about it,
how to prevent, how to be solidary at school, club and at the community.
Besides the work developed with children and teenagers, we develop
activities on the formation of health professionals and schools
counseling to the parents, chats at schools with the puppets DANIEL,
LETÍCIA, TOM and ANINHA.
PROJECT: “PAULISTA NET OF WOMEN WITH
HIV/AIDS “
Since 1996 this project has been sponsored by CN DST/AIDS. It is
a work developed by GIV “a place where it is possible to weave
solidarity strengthening and citizenship”.
The goal of this project is to work on the support towards women
with HIV/AIDS in the state of São Paulo. In all its actions,
to create, make spaces bigger, exchange thoughts, Gender, HIV sexuality,
things concerned to women living with HIV/AIDS.
During the first three years (96 to 99) we had good results. The
strengthening of each participant helps us which way to go and if
they were well, sooner they elaborating projects individually or
as team. Motivated some of them started to work in NGOs, lead activism
acts, on a better treatment quality to people with HIV/AIDS, they
stepped out in a citizenship and fighting for their rights in an
epidemic AIDS scenery.
On this continuous construction, we moved on with the women in the
state of São Paulo. This experience showed itself of great
importance, as a garden needs daily watering, we are seeding constantly,
motivating new projects, individual initiatives. Fourteen cities
from the state of São Paulo took part and about 300 women
direct or indirectly participated.
” ...When I found myself HIV positive, next I was a
widow. It was difficult to face life, my children, family and society
full of prejudice. However, I looked for strength inside me to fight
against HIV/AIDS.
I knew it was going to be difficult, but today looking back I realize
that it is worth to go to your doctor, take the medicine and to
have friends. Here at GIV I found another meaning for life. I know
I can live well with AIDS and be happy to love and be loved. To
know that I am a human being and I have the right to be happy…
TO LIVE IS EVERYTHING!! “.
PROJECT: “PRODUCING REVENUE / GETTING
RESOURCES“
With the propose to implement actions for the sustainability of
the institution and at the same time produce revenue for people
living with HIV/AIDS, during these years we developed works that
helped the double objective : sewing workshop, silk-screen shoemaking,
photographers team.
Today we count on with recycling aluminium thrift store, creation
space (painting, handcraft, cooking, and bakery), with these activities
we intend to offer work alternatives to our numbers who have problems
to get a job.
This project depends a lot on the interest and abilities of people
involved, continuous training, and partnerships we get along the
way.
PARTNERSHIP IN PROJECT
PARTICIPATIVE METHODOLOGIES IN EXTERNAL RELATIONS
AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR NGO/AIDS.
This project is developed by a technical team of GIV – Group
for Life Incentive, Group for Life-Rio de Janeiro and Niterói,
DST/AIDS-Municipal Program- Praia Grande (São Paulo State)
in partnership with International HIV/AIDS Alliance-England through
technical and financial support. Its priority is to answer questions
about actions of sustainability against AIDS in the country contributing
to the decrease of AIDS impact in three levels: Technical, Political
and Financial. This project was supported up to here by The Health
Ministry CN DST/AIDS-São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and DKT
of Brazil.
The participative methodology was always important (special) along
this whole process contributing in a way, that NGO´s representants
would belong to this process is part of its construction an alternative
to answer sustainability questions-technical, political and financial.
Among several positive results coming from this project, we call
attention to the actions focused on sustainability in part because
they were supported by state programs and also by NGO’s from
the states involved. The acknowledgement of the project on these
states and the positive results motivated the growth of these actions
throughout Brazil, and keeping the support of those NGO’s
already involved in the process.
“We arrived here, kind of shy…
but was huge our expectative…like children who depend
on adults to walk in life…we grew up, we’re leaving
better, we’ve learned…how we learned. Our perspective
is much bigger.”
Dorothy de Castro Ferreira – Dandara/RJ |
BODY & MIND
Body and mind is a project in partnership with NGO Fighting for
Life-from Diadema city, which the priority is to give access to
treatment, improve the diagnostic quality, assistance, prevention
and lipodistrophy in people living with HIV/AIDS who go looking
for help at the reference centers of São Paulo.
The activities developed are:
• Physical education classes (aerobics, anaerobics) the goal
is to burn the fat in specific parts of the body and increase the
muscle fat together with these they are food re-educated.
• Workshops, lectures on self-esteem and citizenship, promoting
the gathering to therapy on medication and to the social sphere.
PROJECT: MEETING
Together with NGO’s and health professionals city hall representatives,
this project has its priority the empowerment and better quality
of life of children and teenagers living with HIV/AIDS in the state
of São Paulo.
Its goals are:
• To contribute to the strengthening of children and teenagers
living or living with HIV/AIDS.
• To increase the quality of attention given by health professionals,
educational issue, volunteers and family.
Fight prejudice, motivate social inclusion of children and teenagers
living and living with HIV/AIDS. The activities developed on the
first year of the project were: Folk parties and diversity, workshops
for families, Meeting of Children and Teenagers living with and
living HIV/AIDS. The project succeeded our expectatives, 100 professionals
were involved, 350 children and teenager attended (40% HIV positive)
and 150 family members.
COOPERATION – BRAZIL/JAPAN
Since 1994, GIV has been promoting several activities in partnership
with a Japanese NGO CREATIVE. Its goal is to prevent the Brazilian
population living there and to improve the lives of the ‘dekasseguis’
(foreigner workers in Japan) living with HIV/AIDS. Brazilian and
Latins.
The activities developed happen simultaneously involving the community
of dekasseguis, health professionals, governmental and non-governmental
offices of both countries. Through trainings, workshops, preventive
intervention, a net linking people living with HIV/AIDS.
Results in Japan:
• Per year, in average we attended 1500 people directly;
• Pre and pos tests in Portuguese and Spanish;
• “1st Seminar Brazil-Japan-Fight against AIDS”
in Tokyo;
• 4 meetings were held “Meetings for Life Incentive”
in Nagoya, Yokohama & Tokyo.
In 2001, the partnership got bigger involving GIV, CREATIVE and
the National Coordination of DST/AIDS of Brazil.
POSITHIV CITIZEN
Building a trajectory at work for women with HIV/AIDS in Brazil.
Since the epidemic HIV/AIDS affected women NGO’s and Governmental
programs have been developed with population. Trying to find a way
to lessen the impact among HIV/AIDS women.
The project Posithiv Citizen, through its actions tries to improve
the life quality of women in regions of Brazil, exercising and motivating
their social actions and citizenship.
“…from this workshop on, I found myself a woman,
and decided to live with HIV. I’ll make everything clear
now!”
Woman who participated in a workshop in Natal-RN
The way has been long, but summing up experience of different organizations
like Living with HIV/AIDS (RNP+) Campinas-SP/RNP+/Porto Alegre-Group
VHIVER-Belo Horizonte, etc. Our priority is to find places where
we can dialogue and that those women may be recognized as citizens.
“…life after my diagnostic looks like got a different
dimension, it’s much more important. Now I want to live
with this difference.”
Woman from Curitiba – PR.
PROJECT: CDI – COMPUTER SCIENCE
GIV in partnership with CDI (Center for Democratization of Computer
Science) of São Paulo and a Japanese NGO PASSO, opened in
December 2000, a Computer Science School in its plant.
Our goal is to promote the inclusion of citizens through computer
science, motivating the students to take with them the ideal of
citizenship.
This project comes together with others such as: Buildings Paths,
Looking for Resources and Getting Revenue.
The course has its own space, seven computers each one used by two
students. The methodology has its own dynamic and strategies which
promote change in the students reality and the communities where
they belong, respecting their own story, of course.
PARTNERSHIPS
During these years GIV is getting mature about partnerships and
nowadays see the partnerships establishment as priority, not only
for its sustainability but most for its strengthening on the fight
against AIDS.
For the group, these relations must be built in solid foundation
of trustworthy with the partners and for the goals to be conquered.
We wouldn’t have a partner that would hurt a tiny thought
of our policies.
In the last few years we’ve been together with several partners
in different fields. GIV offers and receives information and technical
support in different fields, such as medication or side effects
and institutional management and these exchanges up-date us.
Politically our most important partners are: Forums in which we
take part. The last one to join us is a group of group for children
and teenagers, the state forum HSH (man who makes sex with man)
that work with prevention DST/AIDS.
Forums like these has create spaces, looked for a better health
quality, financial works.
GIV acknowledge these forums of vital importance on the fight against
AIDS.
Financially our first partnerships are our members, because all
of them offer a monthly contribution according to their reality,
which can be cash or work.
We also have projects sponsored by the Health Ministery, companies
and institutions.
We believe that our future partnerships depend on how well we work
today. The future of the Non Governmental Organizations with be
made of partnerships, ethic, transparency and honesty. All these
will guide us to our goals. No group will survive if its philosophy
of work the can’t count with partnerships.
ACTIVISM – OUR IDENTIFY
In these years of existence, activism has always been to GIV its
main reason to exist. The group recognizes itself and is recognized
for its livid political participation defending people living with
HIV/AIDS.
This work has always been connected to need of support the HIV positive
into an agent of his/her own story. It’s our responsibility
to pressure the government, the society in order to have answers
to the epidemic.
José Roberto Peruzzo, the founder of the group, was an important
character on the questioning of the role of the HIV positive fight
against HIV/AIDS.
Exposing ourselves as HIV positive without hiding our sexuality
orientation, it was a militant who helped the group to be known
in Latin America as a group of mutual help focused and conducted
by people HIV positive.
The need of a better humanity posture of professionals was always
our focus, which took us to set meetings, debates, negotiate with
hospitals, health professional to give a better or the best assistance
to the patients.
GIV also participated on the fight for free medication in the public
hospitals, and together with other NGO’s and community we
got thousand of signatures that were sent to sent to congress. Today
free medication is a reality in Brazil.
Other action of great importance in activism was the strengthening
and spread wide of group of groups in the countryside of São
Paulo, establishing communication, making better the services in
the public sphere and in the familiar issue we got some improvement.
On the first of December, 1996, GIV organized a campaign with its
member and at hospitals to collect second-hand sheets that were
sewn together, more than a thousand sheets were collected making
a huge patch-work that covered one of our landmarks the Flags Monument
in Ibirapuera Park – São Paulo, calling people attention
to the prejudice towards infected people.
Since then, GIV has increased its participation and has conquered
many fights against HIV/AIDS. Some of them we’re proud to
share.
• Together with NGO’s, we want to set the first
of December as a day of fight against HIV/AIDS and rights of
those affected by this epidemic.
• Fight for medicine,
known as coqtail, through signatures, debates, law suiting etc.
• Fight with health insurance companies that exclude pre-existent
diseases.
• For the keeping of the free distribution
of medication for people living with HIV/AIDS.
• Representation
of NGO’s on CNAIDS (Federal Coordination for AIDS).
• Representation of NGO’s on the Federal Committee
of Vaccines. |
GIV was and is in activist fight, because we believe that new conquers
will happen only if we keep what we’ve go up to here always
improving and beyond all this, it’s important to say that
all our actions have been developed with partnerships, local groups,
national, international. We know that to have a successful history
fighting AIDS – Unity, only unity will make the difference.
PUBLISHINGS / EVENTS
WE’VE DONE !
• 1st Panamerican Meeting of People Living with HIV/AIDS;
• 1st Latin American of People Living with HIV/AIDS;
• Meetings For Life Incentive;
• Meetings of
Education Professionals that Work with HIV Positive;
•
9th National Meeting of NGO/AIDS;
• State Meetings
of NGO/AIDS;
• 1st Regional Meeting of NGO/AIDS (Southern);
• 1st Children and Teenagers Living and Living with HIV/AIDS
– in São Paulo city;
• 1st Latin American
Meeting of Vaccinations Anti-HIV. |
OUR STORIES…
Many are the stories that build GIV. One of them happens at the
end of each year, when we put stars on our Christmas Tree to remind
us those who passed away.
We lost many of our friends because of AIDS, and we’ve learned
how important is to celebrate life keep the meaning and memory that
we built together.
“At the most difficult moment of my life when many
people would treat me so indifferent for being HIV positive. In
GIV I found the support and encouragement to live again. I met
a lot of people at the same situation that I was, questions answered.
Somehow I am thankful to all that showed a world of hope and happiness.”
Marcos Roberto
“When you discover yourself HIV positive, you lose
your way, the rhythm of life. To belong to GIV is like being connected
to others HIV+ and they all understand what you’re going
through. It’s to discover you’re not alone. It’s
an institution of hope and development. It’s to live your
HIV+ condition with dignity.”
Valter Galego
“Once there was a Dulce who used to fight with life
and herself, that thought the solution for all life problems was
death.
Once there was a Dulce, who had a husband and two daughters.
Once there was a Dulce that people used to find full of life but
didn’t know how to live.
Once there was HIV in Dulce’s life. Her world got dark,
the ground shook, ghosts knocked on my door. Dulce almost died
afraid of dying of AIDS.
Dulce was lost in the darkness.
One day she heard that people were getting out of darkness and
sharing their bitterness. It was possible to see beyond HIV, even
though they were HIV+.
That Dulce went to GIV and saw herself on that crowd who wanted
to live. So, this Dulce saw another Dulce who wanted to live because
there was much to be lived.
GIV showed me and made me feel that I wasn’t alone.
Today I can tell a whole new story about myself.
From the darkness came a sunny day with many with many windows
to look through.
Today I’m here and not alone.”
Dulce Barana
|
