Compilation of audio transcripts Dr. Cordeiro talks about what Renascar means to the poor: "There is no institution in Brazil to support the poor – they ignore the poor, in this country. That's sad, but it's true. So, Renascar was their only chance to survive, because in Brazil the public hospitals, they are the only 'open door' for the very poor people. The other doors are closed for them. There is no school – no good school. "In the public hospitals in Brazil, 90 percent (of people), they are poor, and 60 percent, they are miserable. Those miserable (persons are the ones) that I want to help. My focus is on the miserable persons. They are still in a ghetto, you know? And they have no way out. "And the adults that are miserable – I have compassion for them. But I realize, if they become adults, they eat – at a minimum. But a child – a miserable child – if she doesn't eat, she will not become an adult, because she will die." Dr. Cordeiro talks about founding Renascer: "In April 1991, I started writing a project (proposal), and I showed this project to the head of the social workers at the hospital. (He said,) 'You are writing – it's a government program, (but) you don't belong to the government. You are writing a project (proposal) that you will build houses and you will give food – with what money? You are completely mad! I think you are completely mad.' "Some friends of mine, they said, 'Go away, it's impossible to handle!' They are general practitioners. They worked with me during (the past) ten years, and they are very good physicians, but they said, 'Vera, it's impossible. It's too much sadness, illness, poverty, children, mothers alone – you cannot handle this problem.' "And (on) this Sunday, as I wrote the project – when I finished writing – I think to myself, 'Am I mad – completely mad? I have everything – a husband, two beautiful children. I have no need for money. I have my job. What am I doing?'" Dr. Cordeiro describes the people who worked with her to create Renascar: "People that don't want to accept that the world is like it is. And they don't complain – they act. (But to act on) true poverty, to miserable persons, is very frustrating, because you have to act in small things. Like (the way we) started Renascar. "We started helping one child – and I remember those days – such beautiful days. We are ten persons – ten volunteers – and we sold things in our houses. For example, I sold a clock – this place here. And I said, 'Oh, I have to sell my clock to buy medicines for one child.' "And people said, 'Oh, who cares to help (just) one child?' But we are such an enthusiastic group. For example, when we have money to buy ten boxes of milk, we go like that (claps and laughs). I remember – 'Ah, I have ten (boxes of) milk to give' – oh we go like this (claps). 'Oh, I went (and gave) one medication to a child' – we went like that (claps). "And in the beginning, I feel like, we are silly to do this, but I realize it is a way to (make the small group) enthusiastic to face such a big problem that we have." Dr. Cordeiro talks about the conditions that inspired her to found Renascer: "The other day, I heard another story: a woman with a little child – Pedrina is her name – and she has a one-year-old boy. And they had to cut off his hand because it was a necrosis process. It had become black, his hand. "I have to help the mother and to help the child to accept (not having) two hands anymore – only one. And the child cried, and the mother cried, and I cried with them. But the most important question that she asked me is, 'When I come away from the hospital, I have no money. I have no job. I have to go to the streets and ask for money to feed my child without a hand. How could I buy a mechanical hand for him?' "And I realized again that she couldn't, because she was very poor. And I think to myself, 'Oh my God, what will I answer to her?" I said to her, "I have no answer to your question, but I will think about it.' "I had ten cases at that time. The third one is a woman – her child has a stomach and intestines disease – he can't support any kind of milk – only one very expensive milk, and she had to buy this milk during one year. She said to me, 'Vera please, keep my child at your home, because he will survive. He must have (milk) for one year – who will buy this? I am alone, and I have four more children.' "And I said, 'I have no answer for this question. But I will think about it.' "When I came back to my house, my children – they are not children anymore, they are starting their teenage (years) – and like a mother, I know childhood – what we have to do, with fever, with disease – simple diseases that my children have. And I couldn't imagine how those women survive with those big problems. And I realized that alone I have no chance to help those cases, because there is one-hundred of those cases. "I used to work with adults – for 13 years – and I never thought to found anything. I only wanted to do my job. But when I came to the pediatric service in 1986, I realized that I have two choices: to give up working with children, or to continue working in a different way, because I couldn't stay, seeing the little children suffering so much with the disease. And they suffer also with psychological problems. And they suffer also with the misery where they live, with the poor house without food. "So we have to act in the viscious circles that are misery, (hospitalization, re- hospitalization), and death. Because if they are miserable, and you let them be miserable – they have a disease because they are miserable – they cannot cure the disease, even if they are like pneumonia or some infection that is very easy to cure – they don't get cured because they are miserable. They go to their house – their miserable house – and they come back to the hospital because they continue to be sick, and they die. These viscous circles never end if you don't do something." Dr. Cordeiro talks about the harrowing conditions that mothers face, beginning with a description of a boy who has leukemia: Sometimes with leukemia, blood comes from the nose, and the mother has no medication, no house, no husband, and all the children to take care of. What can be worse in this world? He's doing chemotherapy treatment at that time. And not only the disease, but the treatment was awful. And I said, "Oh, OK, I will help him." When I sat down near him, and near his mother, I realized how weak I was, and how strong the mother was. I never forgot her face. She was 35 and seemed like 60 years old. I was talking with her, and the only thing she asked me (was) if I had a cover for the son with cancer. Because, she said, "I live far from the hospital. If I don't cover my (little boy) with clothes" . . . (he is seven years old, blonde hair – I remember him) . . . "If I don't have something to cover him, the physician will stop the chemotherapy treatment. So, do you have a sweater or coat in your house to give me?" And I said, "Yes, I have (one). I will bring it tomorrow." Certainly the mothers also have a lot of problems. I don't know where they have enough strength to do what they do. Women – we are very strong. They feed the children without food, they take care of them with love, without having love from anybody else. They improve their house without money. To improve the life of this woman, of this child, I have to improve the life of the mother, the whole family. It is impossible to separate. Rosangela Carvalho talks about Renascer: "I thought I was nobody, before. The disease AIDS doesn't matter for me now, because I have friends. It is here in Renascar that they proved that I am a person – that I have some value. For them, I have some importance. My children have some importance. They are my family." Audio with eleventhth image (children's choir): Children's choir:
We Must Believe
I want to be your loyal friend,
We must believe that there is hope
We will help everyone we can
Eu quero ser seu amigo leal,
É preciso acreditar, pois existe a esperança
Vamos levar ajuda a todo cidadão
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