Il premio è stato istituito cinque anni fa in ricordo di Nadja Maganja, una donna della comunità slovena di Trieste che si è sempre impegnata nel sociale, per il dialogo e per la difesa dei diritti umani.

Ogni anno il premio è assegnato a una donna o ad un gruppo di donne che si siano distinte per una testimonianza di vita segnata dalla fede e da una o più delle qualità che hanno contraddistinto la vita e l’opera di Nadja Maganja: la fede, la preghiera, l’amore per la ricerca storica, scientifica, sociale, intellettuale, l’uso della scrittura per comunicare la propria esperienza e il proprio impegno, lo spirito di servizio, l’amore per il dialogo ecumenico ed interreligioso, l’impegno pedagogico, la solidarietà con i poveri e i deboli, la tutela dei diritti umani.

Quest’anno il Comitato ha assegnato il premio alle donne di DREAM per la loro attività nella promozione del diritto alla salute, l’impegno nella lotta allo stigma e alla discriminazione e per il riscatto dei più deboli e poveri.

Jane Gondwe ha ritirato il premio in nome di tutte le donne di DREAM; nel suo saluto ha ringraziato per il prestigioso riconoscimento ed ha raccontato la sua esperienza.

Nei giorni successivi Jane ha incontrato in città gruppi di giovani e adulti per raccontare la sua esperienza, la vita in Malawi e per rispondere ad alcune domande. Grazie al premio e a questi appassionanti incontri, la città di Trieste e la Comunità Slovena sono più vicine all’Africa.

L'intervento di Jane:

My name is Jane Gondwe from Malawi would like to thank you all for the occasion you have given me to have this award. Am very happy  an receive it on my behalf of may fellow friends of the Movement I dream

Am the responsible of the movement I dream in Malawi. This is group of people living with  HIV and help to stop stigma and discrimination  and help their fellow friend to restore their dignity and live as one family as children of Community of st egidio and also children of God

 

My life was very nice with my husband and my three children. with my husband and my three children. before 2001when I discovered I was HIV+. In 2004 my husband died

Things started getting tough for me, I got very sick and I had been fired from my work as a teacher. 

I have heard the history of Nadia with great interest that it was her dying wish to help Malawi. I have also read her history that she died in the Months of February 2006 .This is the same year and just only one month later I met Dream programme then some months later I become the testimonial of dream. Am the voice for the women and children who have no voice  and are discriminated with HIV.

As Nadia   job was to the minority. I have been speaking on the news and television about our programme and on how the women who are HIV + can have the their right .Many women in Malawi have not gone to school and its not easy to speak for themselves on their health and about HIV.Together with my friends we make sure the women are empowered and that can take care  of their families.

 

Dream is the hospital that offer Drugs for HIV and also nutrition support we have now more that 13000 patients on ART in Malawi. We have the programme for Preventing mother to child transmission has been a success since we have seen many children born HIV -.

The challenge we have encountered is that most of our patients comes from remote areas and the knowledge is low. We make sure as Movement I dream to teach this women on Health education and on how they can prepare nutritious food for their families. We also encourage those who are sick that they can have access to treatment and give the message to our friends that Aids is not Death sentence

I, together with may friend we are also following the poor and elders and we make sure if they don’t have food and shelter we contribute some  money and give to them and also build the house to those who don’t have.

We have the pray together almost every week for the sick and peace in all the countries.

May the spirit of Nadia rest in peace and I thank you all the organisers for consider Malawi to receive this award I don’t just take it for granted but I have received to cherish it for the rest of My life and have the strength towards my work .