Big party last Saturday in Conakry for the twins of Fanta, who met the DREAM Program in 2008, when she was very young, pregnant and HIV positive. She was certain of being doomed to die and not be able to continue the pregnancy. But someone told her that it was possible to heal, not to die and give birth to healthy children. Even if initially in disbelief, she turned to the DREAM center of the Community of Sant’Egidio asking to be cured. The friendship of other HIV positive women whom she met at the center encouraged and helped her to follow the therapy correctly and, a few months later, two beautiful healthy twin girls were born. 

In 2011 Fanta got pregnant again and this time she faced the pregnancy serene and strong. Also this time she gave birth to two twins, Fatoumata and Fanta that, at the end of the eighteen months of age, were tested and found to be healthy!

The happiness of Fanta and of all her friends from I DREAM was immense, a unique opportunity to celebrate together life and the achievable future.

The festivities were held during the meeting of about 100 activists of I DREAM, gathered to plan the Movement’s work program for 2014 and share each other’s experience in helping the sick, prisoners and orphans.

In an atmosphere of great friendship between Christians and Muslims, the choice of committing to the service of the poorer and the awareness of being able to represent a great power of solidarity for the city of Conakry, has been strengthened. The group of teenagers of I DREAM has also faced the challenge regarding the friendship with the elderly.

The following day, a group of I DREAM visited the prison of Coyah. The prison is located 50 km from the center of Conakry. It houses 89 young people aged between 14 and 25 years old.

The prisoners are all locked up in a single cramped room with a toilette and few air holes high up on the walls and they have no chance to go outside. Often the boys are arrested without being able to inform their families, and therefore without the possibility of receiving outside assistance for food, clothing and medicines.

A group of women of I DREAM visits them once every fortnight and a maternal friendship has arisen, which supports and helps the prisoners, besides facilitating the resumption of the relationship with their families.

Thanks to a donation of clothing from the European Union to the Community of Sant’Egidio, it was possible to organize a distribution to the young prisoners who, in most cases, have nothing to wear. One of them, René, at the end of the distribution, said: “ When I go out, in two months, I want to join you to change my life and become a better person”.