At the beginning of March we were invited to a large gathering of firement in Sunja, so we gladly decided to attend and visit a few more friends. We received a lot of praise and thankfulness for the mural we painted a few months on their tower. Here’s some pics from that evening, starting with our team, Andrea, Kris and I.
We of course checked our murals
And we met a lot of friends at the local bar Piccolo
We also visited some friends. Here with Filip’s parents. Remember the amazing video he produced a few years ago?
Nada welcomed us again at her place, and we took time to remember her sweet husband who just passed away
And here’s the original team, who met when the Civil March for Aleppo passed through Sunja exactly 7 years ago, in March 2017, and kept up friendship and cooperation with many projects: Jelica, Jasmina, Anna and Josip.
(Anna: for a change and since we found an excellent “reporter” in this camp, I’ll pass the word to Michele, one of the fathers who participated in the second Family Camp of the summer).
I arrived at Home yesterday and it was as if 5 years hadn’t passed, as if we had said goodbye the day before and it was immediately hugs, stories and narrations of what has been and what will happen in these days together. The adventure begins with the association For a better world and we are ready.
The mural for the children of a nursery school in Rijeka has been completed with an explosion of colours, creativity and imagination.
“People should be educated about beauty: so that habit and resignation no longer creep into men and women, but curiosity and amazement always remain alive”. (Peppino Impastato)
An exchange of smiles and joy between the participants of the Family Camp and the guests of a nursing home near Labin.
The smile and serenity of grandmother Mica is striking, as despite the adversities of the war she decides to remain in the house and in the places where she lived with her family.
Thrown out by the army and forced to leave her home only to return and stay in the place she loves despite having no water (they bring her water cans once a week) and many other living conditions that we often take for granted.
Disarming how she describes how she goes beyond people’s belonging or ethnicity, how she trusts others and considers the person in their intrinsic value.
Today ends the week at Home where “time has flown” as Gioele reminds me and where the magic of the days and moments spent with people has allowed us to bring home a wealth of experiences, hugs, smiles and visions of the world. A time dedicated to our family and others, through small gestures of care and attention. There are many considerations about this experience, but I will focus on just a few:
– Doing good leads to everyone making a small contribution to change and making this world a better place.
– Hearing how people dealt with a war and its consequences always leads me to consider armed conflicts as a huge idiocy of the human race.
– Some testimonies have allowed us to understand that it is not easy to break the vicious circle of hatred, but it is essential to put out the flames of conflict (even if when you go to the town hall to get your documents you find in front of you the person who tortured you in prison until a few years earlier).
– There are no Serbs, Croats or Muslims, but as grandmother Mica says, people must be considered for what they are, restoring dignity to human beings.
– Seeing situations of poverty and considering how they can be faced with a smile even in the darkest moments helps you reconsider your priorities.
– Telling the positive aspects of others and not stopping at the negative ones allows you to be more magnanimous and give the other person the chance to surprise you.
– When you do something you believe in and carry it forward with courage and passion, something around you moves and help doesn’t take long to arrive. Thanks to all our traveling companions for this adventure relived 5 years later and made special by those who welcomed us and together work for a better world.
Also this year the Family Camps are very popular and in fact we had two.
The first and second day we dedicated ourselves to reviving the walls of the “Fortica” center for the disabled, where our Lidija works. The dads did a lot of cleaning around the external walls and the younger girls got busy in a decoupage workshop.
The day dedicated to clown therapy was also a success… from the choice of clown clothes, to the review of songs in Croatian, to the time spent with the guests of Dom Turnic: it was a day full of selflessness and joy.
Then there was the day spent in the hinterland bringing humanitarian aid to various needy families. Dear Biljana touched everyone’s heart…
…and the language of the heart knows no barriers.
The Pizza Party involved everyone: the preparation of the pizzas, the little waitresses serving around, the welcoming of the guests…
Another exciting moment was going to watch the sunset on Učka mountain. What indescribable colors.
And so this camp also ended, with so much joy and gratitude in everyone’s heart and the promise to continue to live these values in our everyday life.
With passion, because it is the fourth year that the parish of Travagliato (BS) sends us its young people, and it is one of the liveliest, most passionate and full of ardor and joy summer camps.
The first day we went to paint some murals in the rooms of a nursing home near Labin. Our young people satisfied the various requests: who wanted a castle, who a seahorse, who a smurf, etc. Above all, it was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with these lonely people and leave a mark that will remind them of the day spent together, of the singing, dancing and smiling.
And then, the inevitable day in inland Croatia, away from tourist Croatia. To bring humanitarian aid and a lot of humanity.
Practise for the Flash Mob Dance
and then in the Korzo of Rijeka, besides the Flash Mob Dance, we gave some many Free Hugs!
Other murals at the Dom Turnic institution. More than murals, we have “regenerated” the garden and the long table.
The bad weather had done some damage, but don’t worry, our team is coming…
Until next time, and thank you for once again bringing a contagious wave of joy!
Another International Camp took place at our Home, in Croazia. Volunteers arrived from Italy, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, England, Canada, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Austria and the Netherlands. And of course, Croatia. For some it was the first time, for others the fifth or the sixth, in any case, right from the very start there was so much enthusiasm! Here’s the first meeting:
We worked two days at the migrants reception point, near the train station in Rijeka, painting three murales and a wooden house, helped by several young people coming mainly from Afghanistan. It was also a good opportunity to spend time with them and listen to the stories of their incredible journeys.
Those were the hottest summer days so far, but everyone did their best, as you can see from these colorful pictures:
Clowntherapy day was another day full of colours and energy, in spite of the heat. Everyone had a great time with the guests of Dom Turnic, singing, dancing and sharing lots of love!
Another big day was the combination of the Game of Hearts, the Flash Mob Dance and yes, after four long years, of Free Hugs!
Pizza Night was also a favourite, and friends from Rijeka joined us, inspite of the terrible storm which just a few hours before caused many trees to fall and interfere with the traffic.
And we had games, lots of fun times at the beach, time for long talks…
Thank you Francesco, Serena, Lara, Ben and Nadia for coming to give us a big hand on staff. You were amazing!
Thank you everyone for contributing to this unforgettable week of Love and Fun. To the next one!
With the exception of the pandemic period, we have been to Sunja, a town south of Zagreb, several times, since 2017. We were able to hold meetings, paint murals, do clownterapy, perform Flash Mob dances, hold workshops in the kindergarten, partecipate in youth events and most importantly establish some long lasting relationships with several dear friends there.
Sunja is indeed a very special town, which took a special place in our hearts.
So, it was time for another visit! And this time I went with Andrea, and we even had the luxury to travel by car.
Josip and Jasmina, as usual, took care of our logistics and made sure our time in Sunja was pleasant but also busy.
We first met with the mayor of Sunja and with the head of the local fireman station, to discuss the painting of the mural dedicated to Saint Florian, patron saint of the firemen.
This mural has to finally get done, as we were supposed to paint it in the summer of 2020!
That evening we were invited to the Firemen regional assembly, and it was officially announced, followed by a great clapping of hands, that the mural will happen!
We also met with Ivana, the director of kindergarden Bambi, and went to visit the school, which in the meantime underwent lots of improvements thanks to some grants she took the time to apply for. The mural is still in super shape and right on that day this memory appeared on Andrea’s phone.
A brief visit to dear Jelica, who unfortunately just injured her arm, but was still smiling, and even laughing, and still planning activities. You just can’t keep a good man down, in this case, a woman!
We also visited Visnja and Marijan, Filip’s parents. Filip is the author of two beautifulvideos, and currently working in Germany.
It was also great to meet with Ivan and Sara, two of the young people we’ve been keeping in touch with. Ivan has been carrying on a personal project of changing his part of the world by regularly cleaning various areas of Sunja. Here is a picture taken just before we had to hop in the car and return to Rijeka. There was also Jasmina, who still works as the town’s librarian and Josip, a jack of all trades, and a friend to all who need help.
Our big mural is also still in top shape, shining his rays of joy and hope throughout this lovely town that, inspite of war and earthquakes and many other challenges, is still bringing a great and positive contribution to our world.
A big thank you to Nada and Nikola for the great and genuine hospitality in their beautiful farm. And…see you soon!
In 2013 our friend Ivan, on the occasion of the inauguration of "Home", our volunteer reception center in Croatia, wrote the following: "There is a beautiful place where dreams and hopes have been able to come true, where commitment, friendship, prayer, solidarity, happiness have taken root; where a group of men and women have chosen and try every day to make the world a better place.It gives me joy to think that this has been possible thanks to the help of so many people and it gives me peace to know that however my mood will be, whether sad or happy, I will find a place where I will be welcomed with warmth and love, making me feel at home. "
Nine years later, this thought of his has proved truer than ever. We have lost count of how many people have been to the "Home" this summer. Many were participating in the various camps, others simply wanted to spend some time with us.
Several have returned to visit us after a long time.
A picture of the Home, painted by Alessia, one of the camps attendees
After two years conditioned by the various Covid restrictions, it was such a great emotion and joy to be able to hug each other again. Many things have happened in everyone's life and it was important to take the time to tell each other about them. In fact, despite being convinced, as always, of the importance of service and external activities, another important need had made its way: to be together, to talk, to share.
Thanks to all of you who have been dedicating time to the goals and ideals that the “Home” is pursuing, both by coming in person as well as by sponsoring our activities.
A special thanks to those who came to help us as a staff: we would have never made it without the cooks, the dishwashers, the drivers and the handymen!
Marin, who came to help us from Albania with his son Kris, here while washing brushes, after a mural made in a nursery school.
Kris was a great help in the kitchen, washing hundreds of dishes.
Stefano and Fabio, here with Paolo during a Pizza Party, pillars of the summer camps in the kitchen and wherever there is need.
And thanks Serena for the great help with the many murals, painted at very high temperature during one of the hottest summers, but with equal passion.
After the conclusion of the summer camps we had, as often happens, the “tail of the camps”, that is about ten days of visits, friends passing by and eager to come to “Home” even if just for a few hours.
We also had some random and often spontaneous activities, but for that matter no less important.
After 4 years Sara and Greta from Verona came back to visit us and together with Andrea and Elena we created a couple of truly original murals.
It was a time of “come backs”, dear friends who hadn’t been here for years, like Veronica, Marco and children from Brescia
… and like Francesca (from Verona) who in 2001, very young, had participated in our first summer camp. She came to visit us with her friend Daniela.
It was great to have Hana, Michael and Tiffany from Germany here with us for the first time.
Aid distributions in Rijeka.
More pictures of these wonderful late summer days …
As we mentioned before, the first Family Camp would be followed by another …
The majority of the participants were “old friends” dating back to one of the first summer camps in our history, back in 2003, when Father Raffa, a Stigmatine songwriter from Verona, brought over 25 of his young people to have an experience here in Croatia. Here are some photos of that epic camp, which has remained in the hearts and memories of all of us. Obviously, those young people grew up and started a family of their own! But they have not lost the love for the needy and the desire to transmit the same emotions to their children and involve them in the joy of giving.
The first two days were dedicated to the creation of a very original mural:
Then there was the usual visits in the Croatian hinterland, where the children sang and cheered various lonely grandmothers and the older ones helped organize the wood.
Here’s the clowntherapy day, bubbling with joy and colours.
We also had many other beautiful moments of leisure by the sea, to play, talk together and get to know each other; lots of music and songs that also involved many friends passing through our place during those days. And then the Pizza Party!
Thanks Alessia for the original representation of “Home”, with all those beautiful coloured sheets …
Due to a heart attack, our dear Giurgia suddenly passed away. She was a friend, an example of life, a tireless collaborator, always ready to host groups of young volunteers, to share her recipes and the fruits of her garden in the unforgettable house in Bukovica, near Vojnić. Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to meet her will never forget her sweet and humble smile. A thought and a prayer to her husband Marijan, her children Valentina, Carmen, Kiki and the rest of her family.
Better World Croatia / Per un mondo migliore 