Despite this, 1500 patients and guests attended the opening ceremony of the "Eu DREAM" Movement along with 800 students from the Mission School. Many guests arrived a day early and in many cases had walked more than 80 km in order to attend this meeting of hope and joy.

The local authorities opened the meeting by thanking the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Combonian Missionaries for having dreamt that AIDS could be beaten even in such a remote place. All speeches were translated from Portuguese into the local language, ndao, as most of the people who live in this region do not speak Portuguese.

The program included a humorous sketch performed by a local theatre group. he message they launched was both powerful and simple, that is, HIV cannot be beaten by visiting the curandeiro (a traditional doctor who the locals often resort to in the African mato), instead people must go to the hospital where there is a real possibility of recovery rather than death. 

Later in the morning two activists shared touching stories of how their meeting with DREAM was for them the blessing of new life when it all seemed to be over. They insisted that all this was possible and that others should experiment this new beginning – with the duty of then witnessing to others.

The meeting ended with the reading of the "Eu DREAM" Manifesto and the singing of the anthem. All of the participants who came from far away were offered a meal before setting off on the journey back home.