Dear friends and supporters of Mosaico Euroafricano,

Antonietta, Sabrina and Eugenio, whom have been good friends of mine and supporters of the charity for a long time, would like to share their summer experience at the day-care centre for orphaned and needy children Paolo Zanichelli’s Children’s Home.

Winter begins at the beginning of July in the Kalahari Desert, and Cecilia’s main concern is that the children are wearing appropriate clothes. For this reason we left Italy with suitcases full of sweaters, wool hats and winter shoes donated by our friends living in Verucchio and surroundings (nearby Rimini, Emilia Romagna); as soon as we reached the centre, we immediately gave the children their personal winter outfit. The children conveyed us a deep sense of harmony from the very beginning and in the meanwhile we became aware of the significant progress made since our last visit two years ago.

The staff seemed to be very motivated and skilled in regards to the schooling and education of the children, whom are also required some sort of discipline. Besides, the day-care centre is managed in an irreproachable way: the kitchen, the classrooms and the sickroom are very clean and well-functioning. Every day the nurse does the rounds of the rooms to see whether someone needs her special care. If so, they are taken to the sickroom, where she gives them the necessary medical treatments; if she needs to call for the doctor instead, she confers with Cecilia, whom sees to the transport to Ghanzi’s hospital.

However, the most amazing thing we observed during our stay is that, despite not living in never-never land – as they go back to their small, miserable villages every evening – the kids at the day-care centre Paolo Zanichelli’s Children’s Home are given the same care and affection as any other child on earth deserves and they enjoy calm, thoughtless days. One of the funniest moment is playtime: the children get out of their classrooms noisily and play with everything at their disposal. Another unforgettable moment was the theatrical performance: the children performed a hospital whose patients were either injured or having a medical examination, while the child playing the role of the doctor had a real good time by giving injections on all sides.

We’ll never forget our visit to D’Kar, the village where the children looked after at the day-care centre come from. Here we could also notice some small improvements: some families lived in better hygienic conditions, sent their children to school regularly and began to understand the importance of taking care of their own children. However, the path to walk on is still very long and difficult, while alcoholism and diseases keep on being serious problems.

We went back to Italy hopeful and aware that that if some of this children can have a better future, then our commitment won’t be in vain. This is a serious, wonderful project which deserves the support of all of us.

So writes 12-year-old Lucia: Amidst such poverty and sad living conditions, the Children’s Home stands out and looks beautiful. I was struck by the way these children obeyed and by their will to learn: they paid a lot of attention during the lessons, respected the rules and helped one another. Besides, they were all good dancers: they had rhythm and music in their blood. Thanks a lot for everything.

Love,

Cecilia