Experience of international cooperation.
Testimonianza della Dott.sa Arianna Rossi, Coordinatrice educativa responsabile dei servizi socio-educativi del Comune di Roma.
“[… ] AIDS, probably the most devastating disease ever, spares no country. Despite the warnings, world reactions have been slow and inadequate. Efforts have been hampered by racism, homophobia, shame, gender discrimination and deep poverty. If we act now, however, it is still possible to avert the apocalyptic predictions. Some countries have shown that action can make all the difference. [… ]”.
Shereen Usdin : “hiv/aids” Ed. Carocci p.13
The area of Karungu, located in the south-west of Kenya, has the highest rate of people suffering from HIV/AIDS, approximately 37% with about 4,000 orphans.
The Dala Kiye, a centre for HIV-positive lone children, born by the Camillian missionaries in this geographical area, stands on the shores of Lake Victoria and offers to about 413 orphaned children, deprived of their affections and family care, an alternative place to the road where they can grow, play and be together learning also professionalizing activities such as: cutting and sewing, gardening activities, sports, dances and traditional songs…
E’iniziata una nuova Guerra mondiale, ma ora è contro l’umanità nel suo insieme.
Subcomandante Marcos
In nome della globalizzazione questa Guerra Moderna uccide e dimentica.
In nome di tutte le guerre mondiali, la posta in gioco è la spartizione del mondo. Questa nuova spartizione è costituita dall’aumento del potere dei potenti e della miseria dei miserabili; esclude le cosiddette minoranze: le popolazioni indigene, i giovani, le donne, i gay, le lesbiche, gli immigrati, gli operai, le persone di colore, i contadini, ma sono loro che di fatto rappresentano la maggioranza che costituisce la classe inferiore mondiale, coloro di cui, agli occhi dei potenti, si può fare a meno.
In realtà, questa nuova spartizione del mondo esclude la maggioranza.
Messico 1996
Al Dala Kiye è attivo inoltre un centro nutrizionale che ha lo scopo di provvedere ad una dieta bilanciata per I bimbi. Ogni giorno tutti i minori hanno accesso a due pasti (colazione e pranzo). I bambini che vengono seguiti al Dala Kiye ricevono ,in caso di necessità, assistenza medica al vicino Ospedale St. Camillus costruito dagli stessi missionari Camilliani. All’interno di tale struttura, sono collocate 6 case famiglia per bambini orfani sieropositivi il cui scopo è quello di offrire ad un numero di 24 minori un ambiente familiare.
The project provides an alternative form of family where children are protected from abuse and have access to -type = “page” data-id = “45”> special antiretroviral treatments : drugs that cannot cure AIDS but can prevent HIV from reproducing inside the body, offering the system immune an opportunity to recover and fight it. Although this can therefore greatly reduce the viral load, the virus is deceptive and can mutate, thus managing to survive all attempts to annihilate it. Without ARVs (antiretrovirals) children as well as adults would die of AIDS. In the six family homes for HIV-positive minors, in addition to the children, there is an educator who supports them in the delicate daily work of care and hygiene as well as ensuring that the children regularly take their own medicines.
In the center there are also four family units with up to twelve minors , also with an adoptive mother for a total of forty-eight orphans. In both educational realities, provision is made to guarantee the children guests: food, education, medical assistance and psychological guidance. Through an adequate helping relationship that every educator sets up with the children, they face each day with serenity and desire to experience the disease that, in the eye of the stranger visitor, does not seem to exist.
There are also four family units with a maximum of twelve children, also with an adoptive mother for a total of forty-eight orphans. In both educational contexts, provision is made for the provision of food, education, medical care and psychological guidance to host children. Through an adequate relationship of help that every educator imposed with children, they face daily with serenity and desire to live the disease that, to the eye of the stranger visitor there seems to be.
In this context where there are large green spaces, the game is also basically free so that a bit of land, wooden sticks and a wheelbarrow usually used by workers for the transport of grass, become games in which not only the child acquires and refines their practical skills, but at the same time makes that his imagination as well as his creativity take almost by magic form and the relational ties between equals and do not tighten in a spirit of mutual brotherhood.
Next to the family-homes, they were built by the missionaries themselves a kindergarten, a primary school and a high school as well as another primary school in the area of Kopala , small suburb near Karungu. The first three schools inaugurated in May 2004 were registered by the local government as public and host 413 orphaned children while the last one hosts 343 of which 150 are orphans. In all the structures, the Camillian fathers ensure that the children attending are provided with didactic material, uniforms, the furnishing of the educational spaces and teachers’ salaries as well as a healthy nutritional program for all.
It is of great value to every community to know that the so structured choice of this humanitarian organization to protect the human rights (to life, health, social and economic rights), of people with HIV, creates greater openness and incentives for each individual to be controlled, advised and cared for while safeguarding themselves and others at the same time. This is because AIDS is not something that only happens to others, so that consideration, It must be the basic principle that must feed our every effort, both individual and collective, so that everyone can take responsibility at least in the implementation of appropriate prevention programs in every socio-health and educational institutional context.
” […. ] AIDS is the syndrome caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and like all diseases, it has a biological explanation. It is not a punishment that discriminates or targets specific groups: anyone exposed to risk is vulnerable, but there are factors such as gender or poverty, which make some people more vulnerable than others and create ideal conditions for the spread of the virus. [… ].”
Sheeren Usdin : “hiv/aids” Ed. Carocci p.35
Louis Pasteur writes: The microbe is nothing, the soil is everything.
In view of this, in order to prevent the death of millions of HIV-positive people now and in the future, it is good that, in addition to the participation of civil society and the involvement of patients themselves, a higher political commitment that must necessarily join the prevention and treatment programs present not only in Kenya but in all countries where poverty and socio-economic and economic backwardness reign.
In the same way, not only should free access to medicines be encouraged, but also home care programmes in order to give greater depth to prevention and treatment interventions.
“[…]If this does not happen, life expectancy for people with HIV will continue to decline and countries will be deprived of their most productive citizens. There will still be millions of orphans with all the resulting social consequences. [… ]”
Sheeren Usdin : “hiv/aids” Ed. Carocci p.102
Many children of peasant family, whose existence depends on agriculture, , have lost and are losing their parents before learning to cultivate the fields or to take care of themselves , and very often, when parents die, It’s the girls who usually support the family.
“[… ] The negative effect on the economy of these countries due to the loss of human capital will be accompanied by immense suffering. Poverty will increase and the gap between rich and poor will continue to widen […]”
Sheeren Usdin : “hiv/aids” Ed. Carocci p.102
It is understood, therefore, that the reversal of trend of the epidemic starts and takes on more depth if there is a strong political will. When a country is present, it can do it. Where decentralized prevention and treatment programmes and free access to medicines arrive in villages and speak openly about sex and condoms, with bold public advertising campaigns on the mass media and sex education courses in schools. There is no doubt that we are faced with a moral injustice of high proportions that obliges us all to participate and intervene in the process of renewal also and above all cultural. Mobilization of resources and valuable guides for all in order to dissolve even the halo of shame compared to the epidemic that still afflicts some developing countries.
In the reality of Dala Kye of Karungu, every day with loving care and patience is cultivated the seed of this beautiful plant of change in respect for human life and the dignity of people who in innate unawareness, Aggravated by a state of poverty and neglect, they found themselves living with a disease that has been defined by many professionals and politicians the plague of the 21st century. It therefore seems necessary, now more than ever , that politicians and those who hold social responsibilities should not close themselves off to the selfish pursuit of national or group well-being and prestige, but should have at heart the progress and ascent of all peoples.
What remains to be done is only to act by finding and developing the potential for strength inherent in grassroots communities to which adequate infrastructure and economic resources must necessarily be given.
Education and health in such contexts must procedures their development hand in hand so that science and technology are always placed on the paths of true good for humanity.
Karungu: the eyes of Africa.
Yes, it is Africa. A magical land in which dignity and respect reign on the part of every person who every day faces life in the humility of his being a man or woman despite poverty, misery and disease.
Thanks for this experience with a high pedagogical value is due not only to those who have allowed me to enjoy such privilege Dr. Cinzia Padolecchia (Director of the XII Municipality), but also to those who have built the educational structure with loving care in which I was able to question my professional beliefs by making it operational in this type of different reality. It is also my duty to thank the educational groups of the municipal preschools from the undersigned Coordinate: the Piccolo Mandarino and L’Allegro Salice, schools of the XII Municipality, as well as the parents of the children attending these structures for having spontaneously contributed to the collection. drugs with which it was possible to strengthen that bond of mutual communion that unites peoples despite geographical distances and cultural diversities.
Thanks to the Mayor of the Municipality of Rome Hon. Walter Veltroni and to the work of the Giunta and the Municipal Council having contributed through political intervention to the creation of a Bridge to Africa.
‘ If we are ever to have real Peace in this world, we will have to begin with Children’
Mahatma Gandhi.
Arianna Rossi – Educational Coordinator of the municipal kindergartens of the City of Rome.
