My Africa

Thika, Kenya, June 2023

Africa, what an incredible place! It hides within itself so many wonders, from the culture, to the colours, to the people, and I was lucky enough to get to know so many stories, each of which made my experience unforgettable! I spent my days at the Karibaribi centre, in Thika, volunteering. This is a centre that takes in children who have no home and live on the streets, coming from complicated economic and family situations, whose aim is to reintegrate into society by supporting their school expenses. The experience was made possible thanks to the Kenyan association "Action for Children in Conflict"- Afcic, which has been hosting foreign volunteers for a couple of years. It goes without saying that it was the experience of a lifetime, it throws a harsh reality out of our imagination in your face, but it marks you and teaches you a lot. I had the opportunity to spend a month in contact with these incredible children, who have a world inside them, characterised by unprecedented creativity and carefreeness. We had so much fun, we did so many activities and they taught us how to make bracelets and necklaces and how to wash clothes by hand! I left with the idea that I would be the one to teach them something, but the reality is that they taught me much more than I could. They teach you to appreciate simplicity, to share even if you have little, to face each day with a smile, and to be hopeful. It is incredible how such an unfair and difficult world has nevertheless taught them to love, to transmit that pure and unconditional love. Although small, they have so much to tell, those stories that remain in your heart forever and make you hope that one day this world will be able to give them what each of them deserves. It was intense but I will always be grateful to have had the opportunity to have such an experience and to have met those 25 children with eyes full of dreams and curiosity. The culture of this magnificent country welcomed me and my fellow travellers with open arms, without prejudice, with curiosity and gentleness. I saw a different world from the one I live in, inhabited by many people who love their country and fight every day, in their own small way, to help their neighbour.

These children and this country have given a little more colour to my life.

Francesca