Discovering people close to me saved me. My transition to God
Testimony* from Aparecida
My name is Aparecida. I hit rock bottom first and from there I started a new life path. I had to face prostitution and the street, and I got out of it. At twelve years old I left my family because they didn't accept me: for them I was different, first homosexual and then transsexual.
After a few years, someone took me to Italy, but I had to repay the trip: fifteen thousand euros. They made me work on the street, first in Brescia, then in Reggio Emilia. I had never thought about changing, because I didn't know I had other opportunities. I thought my fate was sealed.
At a certain point in my life, however, I encountered the street unit of Rabboni of Reggio Emilia, then I stayed in a house in the Caritas, I did an internship and was helped by Project Rosemary.
Discovering people next to me made me realize that, perhaps, there could be a different life for me. When I started doing the internship I started to change my mind. I understood that I had rights, that I could have a job, a peaceful life, without dangers and bad things.
Today my life has changed a lot: I no longer have the thought of going back to the streets, I no longer have the fear of not being able to do anything good in life, because today I think I have more opportunities that can open up in front of me.
Now I'm starting a career path, I send my CV online and go to the agency in person. Going in person is important for me, because before I didn't have the courage to show up in person for job interviews: I lived at night and had no contact with "normal" people. I found the courage to talk to the people in front of me. I can face the conversation with my head held high, whereas before I didn't have this strength, because I felt much less than others.
It makes me feel good to live in a quiet place, where I don't have to pay excessive amounts: before I paid 370 euros a week plus groceries. At the moment I'm very calm because I have people who advise me where to go for the interview, for example through Winner Crafts or other entities.
I take better care of myself, I prepare food for myself, I cook what I like: rice and beans, pasta with pesto... During the week I do many activities, such as Italian school, the gym, even volunteering at the canteen Caritas one morning a week. There I saw that there are many people who work hard to help other people who are on the streets, who have no home, who don't have anything to eat.
Before I thought I had no faith, I had a hard time believing. Now it's different: we are the Church. The Church is not made of walls, but we people are the temple of God: God lives in me, in us.
Having God with me makes me feel cheerful and happy.
* Testimony collected thanks to friends in Reggio Emilianell’ambito del progetto “Nati due volte”, con cui i volontari del Jonathan Project vogliono raccontare i cammini di fede delle persone transgender e dei loro familiari. A maggio 2025, in occasione delle Veglie di preghiera per il superamento dell’omotransbifobia, alcune di queste storie saranno raccolte da La tenda di Gionata in un libretto a stampa gratuito che racconterà i percorsi di fede delle persone transgender, cattoliche e evangeliche, e dei loro familiari nelle diverse chiese. Una raccolta di testimonianze con cui vogliamo tessere un ponte di conoscenza tra questi due mondi spesso lontani, per contribuire a buttare giù muri e pregiudizi. Per leggere le testimonianze che abbiamo già raccolto clicca su https://www.gionata.org/tag/nati-due-volte/ . Se vuoi aggiungere la tua scrivi a tendedigionata@gmail.com PASSAparola
