The Meaning of the name "Aviva" and how it resonates with the concept of The Aviva Week at Open Dreams
- Open Dreams
- Oct 5
- 3 min read
The name Aviva has Hebrew origins and means "spring" or "renewal", symbolizing new life, fresh beginnings, and hope.
It’s derived from the Hebrew word “aviv” (אָבִיב), which means springtime; the season when flowers bloom and the earth is renewed.
So, when used as a name (like Aviva Week), it carries connotations of revival, growth, and positive change: a fitting symbolism for initiatives that bring healing, awareness, or new beginnings. That is why the principal Aviva colour at Open Dreams is "Green" signaling growth, or flourishing (the green fields). The other colours are white, signaling purity of heart which is characteristic of babies. The red signals the battles which have to be fought to win a future for the struggling children. Every child deserves a chance to thrive; every child deserves a chance to explore this beautiful universe.
The three colors: Green, Red, and White, are emblematic of the Christmas season, which celebrates the birth of a child who would become the Messiah, in the Christian calendar. All of these reflect the potential every child holds to solve some of humanity's most pressing challenges, and why it is important to help every child to survive infancy.
The meaning of “Aviva”, "spring, renewal, and new life", beautifully aligns with the spirit of Aviva Week at Open Dreams.
And here’s how the symbolism connects:
Renewal and Hope: Just as spring marks the end of a harsh winter, Aviva Week brings hope to families with newborns facing health challenges. The Aviva Week is a time to renew faith and remind the families that they are not alone and that brighter days are ahead.
New Life: Since Aviva Week focuses on neonatal health and supporting babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), the name “Aviva” perfectly captures the theme of celebrating life at its most delicate stage: the miracle of new beginnings.
Growth and Awareness: Like the blossoming season of spring, the activities, edu-health talks, hospital visits, and awareness campaigns, help cultivate understanding and compassion around congenital anomalies and neonatal care.
Community Reawakening: The week also rejuvenates the Open Dreams community spirit, reminding everyone of the collective power of love, service, and giving.
The Aviva Week is a season of community, compassion, healing, and rebirth within the Open Dreams family and beyond, fighting neonatal and maternal mortality which are critical public health challenges. From World Bank Open Data, the neonatal mortality rate in Cameroon was 25 per 1,000 live births in 2023, indicating that approximately 1 in 40 newborns die within the first 28 days of life. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear a disproportionate burden of maternal deaths, accounting for about 70% of global maternal deaths.
The broader Aviva Women in Science Program and the Aviva Day which long expanded into the Aviva Week at Open Dreams were created in the year 2020 in honor of Aviva Lilia Bernardo Kullberg, the daughter of two of the organization's co-founders, who passed away at a very early stage of her life. In Cameroon, the Aviva Week, which often pulls together the global Open Dreams Family, is usually celebrated across all the major Open Dreams Hubs in Bamenda, Bafoussam, Buea, Douala and Yaoundé.
The Aviva Week is one of the very special opportunities for us at Open Dreams to have a tangible impact on the lives of neonates and families in dire need of answers to some of the mysteries of life associated with giving birth, when outcomes are different from expectations. It is the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program at Open Dreams.
Go to this link to support the initiative.
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The Open Dreams Team
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