Living with AIDS and AxéStudying health care among Brazil’s poor children, an EAP student learns the true meaning of axé, the energy of life.
by Ruth Padrón
As an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, I went to Brazil to learn about Brazilian culture and language. As part of my study abroad experience in Brazil, I took a course in psychology called Psychology and Health. A requirement of the course was to work in an underrepresented community. I volunteered for Projeto Axé, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the most vulnerable segment of our social universe—children and youth in extreme poverty. I recall my days in the local clinic’s waiting room—the interactions with the health care team and the conversations and activities with the children. Those encounters made my visit to Brazil one of my most rewarding experiences, and provided me with first-hand knowledge regarding health and advocacy for disenfranchised people. As a volunteer, I was asked to reinforce the concept of axé. This objective was strengthened through educational seminars and activities, which built community among the participants. For example, “Cârol,” a fifteen-year-old infected with the HIV virus, was a Projeto Axé participant. The health clinic, a non-profit organization, faced many obstacles in helping Cârol, including inadequate medical technology and inadequate supplies. However, as a team, we could educate Cârol and others about the health risks of HIV/AIDS. We provided Cârol with emotional support, and networked with doctors, nurses, and community health advocates to arrange for her treatment at the local hospital. Working with the children allowed me to realize that my path in life lies within community health in Latin America. I will never forget visiting the clinic for the last time—the tears, the emotions, and the good-byes; but most significantly, the moment Cârol looked at me and said, “Thanks for everything.” Those three words marked the force and energy that defined my purpose in life. While on EAP I also worked with young adults and children in a field research project organized by one of my professors. Working with the children allowed me to realize that my path in life lies within community health in Latin America. Through these personal learning experiences, I became aware of the health disparities that the women and children were facing and I realized that I cannot turn my back on this disenfranchised population. I believe the best way to help is through outreach and education. As a result of my amazing study abroad experience, I am continuing my education this year as a graduate student in the Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies at UC San Diego, where I intend to work as an agent of social change in the community and in academia within Latin America. Through my experience in Brazil I learned how political economy has shaped the resources (i.e., health care) for the local people. I intend to find the means to increase resources for the most vulnerable members of our society. As a graduate student, researcher, and activist, I want to continue to be a health promotion advocate within this population. I want to equip youth and their communities with the knowledge necessary to continue the struggle. Specifically, I am learning more about how race, poverty, and gender affect the quality of care given to young children and adolescents. In a sense, I am working to establish the necessary means to continue my mission to provide the energy and force of axé to make the universe of these children and youth come to life—a mission that began on EAP in Brazil. |
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xé”
(pronounced ashëi) is defined in the Brazilian candomblé dialect
as the force and energy that makes everything in the universe
come to life. Little did I know, axé would change my
philosophy of life. 
