Siempre Unidos is the leading care provider for
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
-positive individuals in
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
. It is a unique fusion of a local self-help group and a
US-based
not-for-profit
A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a Legal Entity, legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives.
While not-for-profit organizations and Nonprofit organ ...
, 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 and found it.
After
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch was an extremely deadly and catastrophic Atlantic hurricane, which became the second-deadliest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin on record. Mitch caused 11,374 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately ...
, volunteers from St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in
Belvedere, CA came to Honduras to rebuild houses and help provide safe drinking water. When they discovered the Siempre Unidos self-help group, the life expectancy of members was 6 months. Dr.
Denise Main began work creating a sister organization in the states to help organize and provide resources for the self-help groups.
Clinics
Starting in 2003, the
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula () is the capital of Cortés Department, Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Sula Valley, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 701, ...
meeting area became a true clinic, offering medical care and triple anti-retroviral medications.
By 2004, they had opened clinics in
Siguatepeque
Siguatepeque () is a city and municipality in the Departments of Honduras, Honduran department of Comayagua Department, Comayagua. The city has a population of 79,520 (2023 calculation).
History
Founded by the Spanish in 1689 as a religious ce ...
and
Roatan, growing to be one of the largest AIDS care providers in Honduras.
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
anti-retroviral
The management of HIV/AIDS normally includes the use of multiple antiretroviral drugs as a strategy to control HIV infection. There are several classes of antiretroviral agents that act on different stages of the HIV life-cycle. The use of mu ...
treatment is provided through the Honduran government an
RAMP
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 Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is a North American nonprofit trade association that provides support to and promotes North American businesses that they identify as being fully committed to the principles of fair trade.
In this vein, it desc ...
.
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.
Siempre Unidos is also one of the only organizations in Honduras that offers voluntary confidential and accurate HIV screenings.
References
{{Reflist
External links
SiempreUnidos.orgSiempreSol.org
HIV/AIDS organizations
Medical and health organizations based in Honduras