In March 2017, the Erasmus students from 3H and 3I met two migrants to Italy. They both are from the african continent, one is from Egypt the other one is from Niger

   

                                                     PORTOFRANCO                                             CROCE ROSSA

They have different stories; Mohamed, from Egypt, arrived here a long time ago, while Abdu the boy from Niger, is a recent immigration, he is under age and he is under the protection of the RED CROSS being a political refugee.

Mohamed arrived in Italy invited by  his father. When Mohamed left Egypt, he did not know he was leaving his country for ever... He just thought he was going to spend a holiday with his father, who was working in Milan.  But this father did not allow him to go back. Mohamed explained to us how he had felt cheated, and angry ... and how he had turned this anger to what and who  had lived around him. He told us, who could not understand his reactions, how different the concept of family is in his culture.  We though that "being with your father" as he was,  meant to be with your family... but that's not what he had felt as, in his culture, family is a larger concept that includes grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins... a father is not a family. Mohamed, now, has overcome his anger and  works for Portofranco an organization that helped him when he was so angry with the world.

Portofranco helps young people from poor families mostly immigrants with their school results as quite often children of immigrant people have problems at school. Now, Mohamed is a Portofranco volunteer, he deals and helps young people.

The Nigerian  Abdu is a political refugee, he told us about his very long travel from the place he was born to Milan... It was difficult for him to tell us how he felt for two reasons: 1 he could speak just a  basic Italian and it was not enough to explain the complexity of his experience, 2 the emotions he felt while coping with  the events he has passed through, were so extreme, so painful that  he did not like living them again even though just with his mind. The lady from the Red Cross who was with him, quite often, stopped our questions because they were too painful for the boy, anyway she  helped us to understand and identify the figure of a refugee.

Asociación Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

On 8th February 2018, in occasion of the Holocaust Memory Day, Vera Vigevani Jarach, one of the founders of this association was interviewed in our school about human rights, migrations and discriminations. It was a really moving moment... Thanks Vera for what you have been doing for a very long time!!!

 

 

“History never teaches us anything. What happened in the past continues to be repeated in small and large situations. This is why we mustn’t forget, but remain on the alert, to be sure that none of this happens again. It isn’t over yet.”... Vera's words   (from: www.varesenews.it )