Médecins Sans Frontières - Webclip - Mafalala Drop-In Centre, Valdo's story (EN)

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSB96203

Date taken / Date Recorded 19/08/2021 12:32 AM

Country Mozambique

Commissioning section MSF-SWITZERLAND

Photographer / videographer / producer António Mabuie

Copyright António Mabuie/MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available yes

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 4m20s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 466.70 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist SCRIPT - Valdo (focus Drop-in Centre)

Valdo Saveca
MSF Patient Patient MSF

(Subs)
This is what happened, I used to study. I was a good person, part of a family. But through a friendship, I fell into temptation.

(Txt)
Valdo was living with his mother and father,
when he began to use drugs.
He stopped going to school and started to steal
from his parents to support his addiction.
When his parents found out, he ran away from home.
 Since then, he’s been living on the streets.
To survive, Valdo collects recyclable waste in order to
exchange it for some coins.

(Txt)
Thanks to a friend,
Valdo started coming to the Mafalala Drop-In Centre,
where MSF, together with the community and local health authorities,
is providing harm reduction services for people using drugs.

(Subs Valdo)
They registered me,
gave me a card, I had tea, but before the tea,

I asked if I could take a shower because it had been days
since I had taken a shower. They saw the clothes I had on,
they were rotten, and offered me new clothes
while I washed my old ones.

At the center they treat me well. They treat me like a human being.
That’s the difference. 

(Txt)
People who use drugs are often stigmatised and excluded from healthcare.
The Mafalala Centre is the first entry point to health services for many. It offers diagnosis and treatment of HIV, Hepatitis and TB. It is also a safe space, where people can rest and access counselling and social services.
To reduce harms linked to drug use, MSF has started a needle and syringe exchange programme. Opioid substitution therapy (methadone) and overdose treatment are also available.

(Subs)
I got sick because of the drugs.
I had Tuberculosis.
Then I started the treatment,
that I’m still undergoing.

(Txt)
To reach people who use drugs, MSF works with peer workers, who are drugs users in recovery. They offer a unique type of support to people who use drugs.

(Subs)
Firmino Henriques Metemba MSF Peer worker and methadone patient 

The harm reduction
peer works on, as the name indicates, harm reduction,

we advise on safe injection methods,

many of the users live on the street,
so, we try to make this connection,
sometimes with the family,
in order to have the possibility
of family reintegration.

(Txt)
Some of the peer workers are trained how to identify an overdose and how to react. They are trained to administer Naloxone.

(Subs Firmino)
As a person who has used drugs for 30 years, I am eligible to be
carrying Naloxone because I know other injecting drug users.

[09:01] [I lost two friends to overdoses] because of these things that I found out today are myths. Injecting salt, scrubbing salt, pouring a bucket of water. Practically everything we shouldn’t have done, that's what we did.

[09:25] So, it pains me to think that instead of helping... but that's it, living and learning [09:45]

[09:51] That's why I feel that every person I can help, I help on behalf of those two who are gone.