Just six days into the New Year, came to our e-mail the official notification we expected: an e-mail from Luca Occhini, Chief of the Regional Team for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, announced that the regional proposal we send to their 10th Round had been approved.

In our office in Buenos Aires, telephones and congratulatory messages came one after another. Within minutes the news crossed all borders of Latin America and the Caribbean: «Sex workers proposal win! Who would believe it?” Until recently we did not dare to dream about it. A phrase echoed by all the lines: «It was worth it».

Much emotion, how proud… and friends, how much work lies ahead! We are happy and well aware of the implications of this challenge. The Global Fund made ​​a wise decision that we will back with results, as we have done everything we have pursued.

An ambitious project like this requires several things, and one of them is funding, although it does not sound right to remember this. But that is not all by any means. Since the birth of REDTRASEX back in 1997, we know that nothing will be different or better for sex workers women in the region, if we are not ourselves who manage to change the course of history.

A new era starts for the Latin-American Network. In 2012 we will begin to formally implement the project: «Female Sex Workers in Latin America and the Caribbean, working together to create alternatives that reduce their vulnerability to HIV: a regional strategy for a real impact».

Happy New Year to all! And thank you again for your continued support to our fight. We share with you the latest news from the RedTraSex.

Elena Eva Reynaga
RedTraSex Executive Secretary