Siempre Unidos
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 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (March 2021) |
Siempre Unidos is the leading care provider for HIV-positive individuals in Honduras. It is a unique fusion of a local self-help group and a US-based not-for-profit, ensuring that the services provided are closely tied to the needs of the community and that the community has access to the resources and cutting-edge medicine of the United States.
History
Siempre Unidos began in 1995 as a Honduran self-help group organized out of the Episcopal church. Rev Pascual Torres, Chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras, helped organize
After
Clinics
Starting in 2003, the
Patients cook and share free hot meals and provide support for each other. They have a dedicated staff of Honduran physicians and nurses, while a US HIV specialist visits every few months to evaluate especially complicated cases. Affordable
Workshops
Now that they can expect to lead full, productive lives, Siempre Unidos members are faced with the prospect of finding employment. In Honduras, job discrimination against HIV-positive people is severe; it isn't uncommon for a large employer to force all employees to take HIV tests, firing all those that are positive.
As a result, Siempre Unidos has developed a variety of forms of employment for its members, including sewing and jeweling, guaranteeing a fair wage and safe, secure working conditions. The resulting products are sold in the United States under the SiempreSol brand, with profits returning to the clinics to expand access and services. SiempreSol is fair trade certified by the Fair Trade Federation.
The aim is to create a new model of sustainable AIDS care, where patients are able to pay for their own care.
Outreach
Recognizing that the only way to end the epidemic is through stopping its spread, Siempre Unidos does extensive outreach and education, reaching the most at-risk groups—commercial sex workers, street children, and high school and university students.[citation needed]
Siempre Unidos is also one of the only organizations in Honduras that offers voluntary confidential and accurate HIV screenings.