International campaign in favor of 8/1 prisoners has already helped 60 families

The mobilization of European residents to help families of 8/1 prisoners who have had bank accounts and salaries frozen for more than a year managed to sponsor 65 families. The volunteers who joined the campaign are from different countries such as Germany, France, Switzerland, the United States and Brazil, and send financial aid directly to those sponsored.

“Sometimes we feel forgotten by our country, but we are also patriots, we love Brazil and we are very happy to help”, says Brazilian Samia Sittel-Faraj, who has lived in Europe for 18 years and has read moving accounts from her followers in pages of the Brazil-Germany Conservative League. “We are building humanitarian bridges of support and solidarity between Brazilians inside and outside Brazil,” she said.

According to her, the campaign was organized in partnership with three volunteers from Brazil and France, where the Mouvement Franco Brésillien (French-Brazilian Movement, in Portuguese) also mobilized to help the families. “And the action reached people from different parts of the world, who extended their hands to the patriots”, she celebrated.

One of the cases that caught his attention was that of psychologist Luciene Stedman, a Brazilian who lives in California, USA, and who sent an email to the campaign. Due to the profession mentioned by the volunteer, Sâmia suggested that the woman contact a prisoner from 8/1 who needed urgent financial assistance and emotional support, as he had tried to commit suicide several times.

Luciene accepted the challenge and talked about the experience. “I spoke for almost an hour with this gentleman”, she wrote in a new email sent to the coordination. According to the report, the psychologist began a process of trust with her sponsor, and indicates the same support to other patriots.

Gazeta do Povo has already published a report on the emotional suffering faced by 8/1 prisoners and the need for psychological support they present. “Please continue the wonderful work you are doing”, asked Luciene.

“They were representing me”, says Brazilian who lives in Switzerland and decided to help

Another report that caught the attention of the campaign leadership in recent days was from gardener and assistant coach Inacio Huber, who lives in Switzerland. “I feel pain in my heart, as if I were in their shoes,” he said. “I would like to be able to support them one by one, as they were representing me, demonstrating their popular will, as the Constitution guarantees us”.

According to the gardener, it is revolting to know that “children, sick people and the elderly will be left in a certain way ‘orphans’, as close relatives who supported them are being sentenced with sentences immensely greater than that of criminals”.

Therefore, he believes that the campaign is one of the ways to support these families at a time of such vulnerability. “And, if there is a new action like this, I will be fighting to get more collaborators”, he said.

Who are the families served?

To locate the 65 prisoners from 8/1 who needed help, a screening was carried out among lawyers and journalists who have contact with the families. From this, the campaign coordination organized the cases and bridged the gap between godparents and adoptees, according to need.

“Remembering that patriots are people who have always worked and who are doing their best to try to maintain their dignity, so it is very challenging to have to ask for help”, says pastor Oziel dos Santos, who received support from a godmother — a nurse from Paraná — and is grateful for the affection shown to him, his wife and three daughters.

“It was extraordinary to feel the love expressed, the solidarity with the cause and to know that, even without great possessions, someone is sharing their daily bread with us”, he reported. “This makes us proud of our people, of our people, and shows that we are on the right path in fighting for our values,” he said.

However, he points out that volunteers who participate in campaigns like this should always be careful to make sure they are actually talking to inmates related to 8/1. “So much so that the first contact this nurse made with me was investigative”, he jokes.

How can I help other 8/1 inmates?

According to the campaign coordinator, Samia Sittel-Faraj, all 65 families selected by volunteers in this campaign have already been sponsored and are still in contact with donors. Therefore, there is no forecast of new action by the Brazil-Germany Conservative League.

But it is possible to help other 8/1 prisoners who continue to need help. To do this, simply contact the Association of Families and Victims of January 8th (Asfav) to send financial assistance or volunteer. Registration is carried out at this link.

According to the entity, it is possible to help with job offers, volunteer work in areas such as social assistance and psychiatry, or financially through donations. The association’s Pix is ​​CNPJ 51.546.913/0001-49.