Paulo Portas, Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal and Carlo Calenda, Italian Deputy Minister for Economic Development, visit the DREAM center in Maputo
"Dream is a management of excellence, an example for Italian entrepreneurs." With these words Carlo Calenda, Italian Deputy Minister for Economic Development, commented on the visit to the DREAM center of Maputo.
The DREAM center of Maputo, one of the 13 centers opened by the Community of Sant'Egidio in the country, was crowded with many patients, as every day. The smell of baby food, prepared as a cooking class for moms, attracted the children who were riding their bicycles around the garden to a table prepared for them, while their parents and the other patients waited for their turn for the medical visit or for analysis.
Dr. Inês Zimba, head of the DREAM program in Mozambique, explained about the great work done by the program for the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV, which has achieved a substantial figure: 13,000 healthy children born to HIV positive mothers in Mozambique. Without treatment, most of them would be infected with HIV. Confronted with these data and with the many lively and healthy children met in the center, Carlo Calenda was moved and wanted to hug a child, one of the many who came for the last test at 18 months to assess the success of the prevention. " I also have a child of the same age as this one ." Words that moved everyone.
The visit followed the patients path in the DREAM center. The waiting, the withdrawal of the analysis, the medical examination, drug delivery, and finally the molecular biology laboratory, where "scientific research at an international level" is performed. Calenda praised the research on resistance to the virus carried out by the biologists of DREAM and the high education and professionalism of the Mozambican staff.
"I am very impressed by the advanced organizational system, the quality of the performance and especially the enhancement of the quality of work in this center, which represents the Italian excellence in Mozambique," Calenda said, pre announcing that DREAM will be a milestone in the visit that Italy is organizing in the next month of April to Mozambique, a strategic country for the internationalization of the system Italia "I want all the Italian businessmen to visit this center, which is an Italian excellence. After ten years of activity it has shown to be a model for Mozambique with regards to the treatment of AIDS and also a management experience of excellence."
Shortly after the Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal, Paulo Portas, arrived for a visit to the DREAM Center and greeting Carlo Calenda exclaimed: "I am happy because I am at the UN headquarters "B". Where the United Nations fails, the Community of Sant'Egidio comes into action" Portas explained to the Italian Deputy Minister who was very pleased with the special consideration for Sant'Egidio and Italy.
Paulo Portas, accompanied by the Portuguese Ambassador in Mozambique, was particularly impressed by the laboratory of molecular biology and abnegation of staff. Portas, who arrived on a private visit, wanted to see everything, know everything, and talked with everyone.
Dr. Inês Zimba , accompanied by Dr. Magid Nurja and Cacilda Massango, head of the social activities of DREAM, showed all the different steps of the patients path within DREAM: The wait, the cooking school, the lessons of hygiene, medical visits, analysis, counseling. About the latter, Dr. Nurja explained the great work done by activists with patients, with great competence and effectiveness, because they have " the words to say." Portas was very impressed by the organizational system and the detailed work with all patients.
"You truly do a great job. To see the healthy children born within the DREAM program is a joy to my heart. Today is my last day in Maputo and I'm leaving with my heart full of peace because I saw with my own eyes what you do against AIDS in this country. "
A DREAM t-shirt as a souvenir of the visit and a promise to contribute to the program. The family photo with everyone. And then one by one, everyone wanted a personal shot with Paulo Portas.