Time doesn’t stop and now is already 20 years after Cazuza’s death. It was July 7th of 1990 that the polemic rock star went out of scene, but the poet is still alive because of his work and the job of his mother, Lucinha Araujo, at Sociedade Viva Cazuza. The nongovernmental organization, that is both for children and teenagers that have AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), is also completing two decades in October. The organization is the most important job for this woman, who is giving the same love that she gave for her son, who died because of AIDS.
Twitter is now a new instrument to get partners.
The institution, the only one of its kind inside the city of Rio de Janeiro, has a mensal cost of 70 thousands reais. Lately the costs are over the budget but this doesn’t reflect at the children attendance. The organization is changing to get new partners. At Twitter (@vivacazuza) they already got a new volunteer nutritional advisor, translators for the website (www.vivacazuza.org.br) and a new freezer. When it was founded, Sociedade Viva Cazuza had the aim to give support to Gaffrée and Guinle Hospital, who was reference in the treatment of AIDS. It was in 1994 that Lucinha opened the house of support in Pinheiro Machado Street, Laranjeiras, where she already had almost 70 dwellers. The picture of each of them, took on their first day in the organization, is hanging on the walls of the dining room of the institution. It is only missing the picture of A., the youngest 11 months old, who came to the institution 15 days ago.
- We took the picture. She have gain 1,5 Kg. – said Lucinha, who was missing taking care of a baby. – For years we didn’t have a baby. But my boys are also very good. Some of them give few problems to study but they are great.
The dwellers of the house of support have between 4 and 17 years. Some of them have family, but they prefer to live inside the organization:
- I’m here for 13 years. My uncles and sister come to visit me sometimes. But they leave far away, in São Gonçalo. I miss them, but here I have food, studies and friends. I stayed on the computer, play PlayStation. – said B, 15 years.
Every kid who lives inside Viva Cazuza is studying in private schools, with partial discounts. And the three teenagers are doing a technical course at Faetec. The organization also has an Adherence of Treatment Program, who watches 140 patients in public healthcare:
- They are adults who don’t take the medication because they are afraid of the disease, is a religion conflict. This affect the treatment, leading to others opportunistic diseases – explain Christina Moreira, coordinator of the Sociedade Viva Cazuza projects. – The biggest costs are with employee and social encumbrance. We have 24 employers and the house works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
When she started, 20 years ago, Lucinha thought she could serve as a motivation to other people. But now she knows why her job is still the only one:
- Is too expensive.
With 73 years old, she doesn’t get down. The copyrights of her son, used first to cover the overheads are everyday more scant:
- Back in the time of the movie (Cazuza – O tempo não para), we had a good budget, it lasted for months. But now the costs are over the budget. We still have a service with quality. When is not like that, we will close. I am not going to have children suffering here. In the organization everyone has their own identity. – said Lucinha. – Is not like I am just a good person, I do it because it makes me feel good. I come here every single day; I want to know what they are eating, how school is going.
Like in any teenager’s house, they also request to come home later. They can, but they need to tell where and with whom they are going out. Boyfriends and girlfriends can visit the institution but they cannot sleep there. When they turn 18 they can still live at the organization, but many of them decide to move, so they can have a little of privacy, but the contact never ends.
Recently, an error of the Health Ministry causes a lack of medication and almost damaged the children’s attendance. But the situation is under control now.
- The lack of medication is caused because of the small importance given to the disease nowadays. It was when the prevention went down that caused the raise in of the contamination index – said Christina.
Brazil has 35 thousands new cases of AIDS for year. The president of “Grupo Pela Vida” and also a psychoanalyst remembers that AIDS is still killing 12 thousand people every year and that 35 thousands new cases are registered every year. For him, the organization is a symbol of the fight against the disease:
- Any public institutions would have an astronomic cost to do what the organization does, and it wouldn’t have the same quality. The government wants a lot from who make this kind of service but gives very small support. Viva Cazuza is an example of administration.