The “People should Shine” project is distributing staple food baskets and hygiene kits as way of demonstrating solidarity with LGBTI+ people in socio-economic vulnerability during the pandemic.
The activity is run by the Matizes Group (Grupo Matizes) supported by the Ecumenical Coordination of Service (Coordenadoria Ecumênica de Serviço: CESE) and other partners, such as the 086 Collective (Coletivo 086), the Association of Transvestites, Transsexuals and Transgender People in the State of Piauí (Associação de Travestis,Transexuais e Transgêneros do Estado do Piauí: ATRAPI), as well as Avant garde.
Organization representative Marinalva Santana describes the importance of CESE’s support during the epidemic: “Last month we started activities for the People should Shine project, which is supported by CESE. We are very happy with the results achieved so far. The funding was essential. We would like to thank them once again for their partnership,” she said, adding “since the demand from LGBTI+ people in social vulnerability is high, we’ve had to seek other support to increase the number of project beneficiaries. This month, we managed to more than double the number of beneficiaries, thanks to donations from people who believe in Matizes’ work.”
The initiative grew out of a response to the extreme health and socio-economic vulnerability resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications in making the lives of the most marginalized groups even more precarious, due to the scrapping of unstable social policies produced by state structures.
Under these circumstances, Matizes entered into partnership with CESE to obtain the resources required to fulfil project objectives: to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on LGBTI+ people, to provide humanitarian aid to LGBTI+ victims of the pandemic and to run activities aimed at health promotion and enhancing Sars-Cov-2 prevention.
Thirty-five LGBTI+ people were supported in July. Thanks to the generosity of Matizes partners and supporters, further donations were made to purchase more staple food baskets and hygiene kits, resulting in an increased number of project beneficiaries. One group of 25 Public Defenders in Piauí donated funds for the purchase of 40 staple food baskets/kits.
In addition to LGBTI+ people from Teresina, the project also included people who live in Timon.
Marinalva Santana is hoping for more solidarity from supporters so as to carry on buying staple food baskets and hygiene kits and expand services for people in need during the current context of extreme inequality, and precarious and vulnerable lives.