Since its creation on August 30, 2023, Zero Foundation led by its president and founder, Elías Flores, has established a community intervention model to combat misinformation and stigma around HIV.
“We were born to address sexual health strategies that were not being developed in the commune,” says Flores, who detected the lack of local actions after his experience as the only volunteer of a National Foundation for Prevention.
Starting from its knowledge of the territory, the Foundation identified that the largest gap in Ovalle resides in HIV education. “Working from the territory is much more practical, because we know our reality and know where the greatest shortcomings are,” Flores explains.
To contribute to the fight against stigma, volunteers deploy programs aimed at key populations such as women, youth and other groups with greater incidence.
Among the outstanding educational initiatives that the Foundation constantly performs, mainly free and available talks and workshops stand out all year for schools (from 14 years), neighborhood boards and organizations that request it. They also include gender approach training that incorporate clear language to eliminate stigma and discrimination, and avoid technicalities that can be confused. In addition, HIV Autotest is delivered with professional accompaniment, that is, distribution of home tests followed by counseling to interpret “reagent” or “non -reactive” results and a guide against possible false reagents.
One of Zero’s work is, indeed, the correct use of language. For the president of the Foundation, talking about HIV is not only a medical issue, but also communicational. “HIV is not spread, transmitted or contracts,” says Flores. He also insists on eliminating expressions such as “AIDS victim”, replacing them with “person who lives with HIV.”
These changes, apparently subtle, are fundamental to demolish prejudices that still persist. With the motto “taking care of me is taking care of you,” Zerón’s Foundation insists that prevention is an act of individual and collective responsibility. “We cannot delegate to another the response of our sexual health; if my partner does not use a condom, I have the right to demand it,” he emphasizes.
MEMORIAL CANDLELIGHT: Memory and Prevention
To give visibility to the impact of HIV in local history, the Zero Foundation organized for the first time in Ovalle el CandleLight Memorial, a world vigil that honors people who died by AIDS. Although the official date is the third Sunday of May, which falls this year on day 18, the activity will be ahead of Friday 16, at 6:00 p.m., in the auditorium of the Municipality of Ovalle.
“It will be a sociocultural act open to the entire community, where we will also commemorate the 40 years of the first female HIV diagnosis in Chile,” says Flores.
“The instance not only commemorates the world victims we have had for HIV, but it will also be an instance to remember and commemorate the first woman diagnosed with HIV in Chile. Because this year, 40 years of that milestone are turned,” added the president of the Foundation.
Those who wish to join as Volunteers of the Foundation, request talks or access rapid tests can contact through WhatsApp +56 9 4583 9721 or through their Instagram Foundation Zero that has direct links to whatsapp and portals where you can know the programs that the group performs.
