PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS
GTP+ projects centre around two areas of focus, human rights and prevention of HIV and AIDS.
HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECTS
From a human rights perspective, the projects work with people directly affected by HIV and AIDS, who are residents Recife and greater Pernambuco state.
1) Solidarity Kitchen
The Solidarity Kitchen is a social enterprise designed to support and provide food security for people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as the local community. The food is wholesome, nutritious and well balanced, which encourages good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle.
Initially, the Solidarity Kitchen served members and beneficiaries of GTP+ but due to local interest and its increasing popularity, the Kitchen has now grown substantially. Located below the GTP+ Head Office, it attracts regular customers from local businesses, three local hospitals, two construction sites, passing shoppers and other employees of local NGOs.
The Kitchen provides employment for eight people who would struggle to find work otherwise, and is a generous and constant source of income for GTP+.
2) Positive Hours and Women's Hours
Positive Hours and Women's Hours are long standing group counselling/workshop projects, which started in 2002. The weekly group meetings are for people living with HIV and AIDS in order to encourage greater self-esteem and citizenship. The groups also approach issues such as re-integration into family, work and society in general. On a larger scale, the groups encourage discussion around the political and social constraints that individuals with HIV and AIDS face.
3) Positive Citizenship
Positive Citizenship project has a legal focus. The project compiles and distributes information regarding rights and citizenship for people living with HIV and AIDS and other vulnerable people groups. Positive Citizenship also provides support with locating trusted legal representation.
4) HIV Vaccine (Participation)
The HIV Vaccine project ('HV') covers a breadth of activities, from working with Brazilian researchers who are developing protocols for conducting vaccine (preventative and therapeutic) trials, to contributing to new strategies for prevention (for example, circumcision, PREP and gels). The project also includes representation at workshops, seminars, conferences with affiliated NGOs and health professionals, all with the aim of collecting and redistributing information about the state of vaccine research and trails and including the voice of community at ethics committees for HIV research.
5) Candlelight Vigil
GTP+ participates in the Vigil which takes place in hundreds of cities around the world as a way to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS among governments, businesses and communities. The Vigil stresses the need to increase research and development, ensure access to medicines and comprehensive care for people living with HIV and AIDS. GTP+ also strongly emphasises the importance of preventive measures to decrease the spread of the virus.
PREVENTION PROJECTS
Generally, the prevention projects work in poor communities, schools, with other public and private organisations. However the projects also extends specifically to a group of elderly, women, and sex workers (including activities at saunas, cinemas and on the street). All the prevention projects encourage self-esteem, citizenship and awareness.
1) Merchants of Illusion
A project developed for sex professionals operating in Recife and greater Pernambuco, specifically male, transvestites and transsexuals sex professionals. Merchants of Illusion works on the street as well as running workshops to train sex professionals as peer educators to increase awareness of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and to approach issues such as self-esteem and citizenship.
2) Street Theatre
Through short skits and theatre, the project encourages thought and discussion around gender, power relations, sexuality, citizenship, prevention of HIV and other STDs.
The theatre is an incredibly effective and culturally accessible way of introducing information on therapeutic and preventative vaccines. The majority, but not exclusively, of performances happens in poor communities, schools, local businesses and youth groups.
In the past five years, the theatre has performed over 500 shows, and it is increasing popular.
Other Prevention Projects
- Valentine's Day Campaign
- Carnival Campaign
- World Day Against AIDS
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