Italian Association Amici di Raoul Follereau (AIFO)

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Press Room: Persons for Interviews in Rome

A Patron Saint for Human Rights
CANONIZATION OF FATHER DAMIEN
Rome, 10-12 October 2009

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Fr Damien

Leprosy

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ZILDA BORGES

INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH FOR IDEA INTERNATIONAL, BRAZIL, www.idealeprosydignity.org

ADDRESS IN ROME: CASA LA SALLE - Via Aurela 472, Tel 06/666981 Fax 06/66000384

INTERVIEW LANGUAGE: PORTUGUESE

“The number of people seeking help increased significantly this year. Although they had completed their treatment, they still carried with them the personal difficulties in trying to deal with the fear of stigmatization. People came on their own to the clinic because the word was spread around by people who benefited from the psychological counseling or who had received a visit in their homes from IDEA. More people in the community also knew about our work.”

Zilda Borges assumed the role of IDEA’s President for International Advocacy in 2008, becoming IDEA’s first woman President. Previously, in her role as the Coordinator of IDEA’s International Women’s Opportunities Program, Ms. Borges traveled to Angola, Mozambique, India, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Italy, Portugal, Bolivia, Paraguay, South Africa and the United States. She has conducted oral history for IDEA in Portugal, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and the Philippines. She also testified during the 60^{th Session of the UN Human Rights Commission about leprosy as a human rights issue, particularly focusing on issues facing women.}

Ms. Borges has a degree in psychology and has established a clinic where she provides individual counseling to people affected by leprosy with critical emotional needs. She also established a partnership with the local federal university to provide in-home support to people recently diagnosed with the disease. This program has been shown to increase compliance for people undergoing treatment.