1991
August - as many as 12 Italian volunteers undergo their maiden
experience in
Haiti.
Everlasting experiences mark our lives;
for some of us, Port de Paix becomes "home". The first
micro-projects are born.
1992-1993
Two more experiences in Haiti. A group of 25 youths set off on
this "great adventure" and the volunteer association begins to
take shape. Funds are collected for micro-projects regarding
schools and for families living in the Fatima neighbourhood of
Port de Paix...
One of our team members, Alessandro de Marchi, spends a full
year in the Fatima neighbourhood of Port de Paix, he was sheltered
by the Christian School Brothers Community and even took up a job
in a local school.
1994
Coup d’état in
Haiti. Our trip was called off.
1995
August - Fourth mission in Haiti. A total of 9 volunteers spent
the month at the Ecole Notre Dame de Fatima; held training
courses for teachers coming from aggregation centres of
Port de Paix and nearby towns, courses on hygiene and
children’s rights. The presence of Dr. Marco Murgo, the nurse
Alessia Viganò and a physiotherapist Giusy Ossoli allowed for
several medical treatments to be performed on children and their
families alike.
1996
The first time ever for a couple of parents, Annamaria and
Vittorio Camurri brought the love of a father and mother to the
street kids of Port de Paix. The first volunteers were housed in
the homes of children ‘distance adopted’ by Italian families: the
first results of the "Timoun yo" ("children" in Creole)
adoption project are evident; so are the fruits of the hard work
put in by the "Rosettes", Haitian volunteers, for 90 children.
1997
The most difficult, tiring, gratifying mission of all: 13
volunteers go over to Haiti; the first fruits of ITALIA-HAITI
cooperation are visible. We have reached the goal of 1 child=1
meal per day, the Rosettes are increasingly involved in their
social work and... we Italians are welcomed as brothers more than
friends.
1998
A week long summer experience for 6 volunteers, a repeat
performance of the year before, the seventh in a growing list: 4
are in charge of entertaining the kids "distance adopted" (a
screaming 150!), 2 attend exclusively to health requirements,
inclusive of thorough clinical tests. The Rosettes turn out to be
a God-send as far as knowledge of the rugged local terrain is
concerned as well as in interacting with us Italians.
1999
Besides Haiti where 11 volunteers land to proceed with the 1998
mission, 6 others fly to Beira,
Mozambique,
care of "Escola Joao XXIII" belonging to the Christian School
Brothers; the first activities kick-off. The "Anangono"
("children" in the local dialect) Project sees the light of day:
it relates to distance adoption of 101 children in distress.
2000
August – off again to Haiti, our land, on a wing and a prayer:
-10 "Christians" travel to AYITI = PORT-de-PAIX = work starts on
the "LASALLE SHELTER FOR THE NEEDY"; entertainment as usual for
the “usual” hundreds of CHILDREN;
-5 "CHRISTIANS" head towards BEIRA-MOZAMBIQUE where the mission is
school assistance, aid to hospitals and a proud herd of 100
“adopted” CHILDREN are brought to ITALY (add them to the previous
year’s 101 and see the total)…
-a part of out team flies off to Pozo Colorado,
Paraguay,
summoned by the ex-Vicar General of the Fratel Genaro Institute,
now Visitor to that Order. They stumbled on a boarding school in
the Chaco desert, facing excruciating hardships and seeking a way
out. To the end of solving the “tougher” cases, we immediately
arranged some distance adoptions.
2001-2002
The period saw our total dedication to the completion of the
“Lasalle Shelter for the Needy” and assessment of distance
adoptions, in collaboration with the “Servantes Lasalliennes de
Jesus” (“Rosettes”). Our presence in Port de Paix shot up owing to
our frequent trips to check work in progress; some of us stayed on
for a week-ten days in Port de Paix, listened to their problems,
evaluated the progress of work, took pictures to serve as graphic
evidence, updated the files of adopted children.
What great luck we had to find some precious, new “technical”
collaborators: the civil designer Paolo Ziglioli, his daughter
Silvia and a team of masons who helped us arrange the works,
Angelo, Tino, Luciano, Alfredo, Pino. Indeed, a true, ‘Christian’
team for Ayiti with all its difficulties, bent on solving them and
at the same time finding a path for others to learn and adopt.
In Mozambique and Paraguay, we proceeded with the growth of
distance adoptions: a fortnight’s stay, short sojourns which
however turned out to be indispensable for the survival of our
projects. In addition, thanks to this contribution and the
ecclesiastical funds for the African Church, to which we were
offered access thanks to Dr. Claudio Andreoli…, we managed to
terminate the restyling of the Manga Church façade, the
Beira neighbourhood (Mozambique) and… a mini-project is currently
under way to assure at least a daily meal to some school children
totally lacking in any means of subsistence.
2003
During Easter week, a well-staffed team of Caravaggio master
artisans descended on Port de Paix, Haiti to terminate the façade
of the "Shelter for the Needy" to house street children: mission
accomplished and now...the finishing touches! In August, 6
intrepid volunteers were still in Port de Paix, amongst whom
Gianni Caltagirone busy laying down the Shelter’s plumbing whilst
others were attending to the ‘adopted’ children (photographs,
news, entertainment), all in close cooperation with the Rosettes.
At the same time, 4 very organized volunteers are in Beira
performing work like in Haiti. Along with them, Dr. (Ms.) Dina
Bizzini, who puts in 16-hour work days (!) in the local hospital,
with excellent results.
...the show goes on.....
