Ventimiglia projects

The computers and internet were donated by Doctors without Borders.  LDS Charities provided rent for the Info Point for 6 months.  There was a parish in the area which was shut down because the neighbors complained, and that was the focal point, but now this infopoint has taken the place of the parish.

With such a need to use computers and phone charging, you have to make an appointment!  Here is Farouck hard at work.  He is a refugee and works the desk.  I believe his salary is 80 euros/month.

Phone charging for the refugees.  They are in transit so having access to electricity is something that is really needed.

The lawyer donates her time, 3 times per week and lives near Genoa!

Clothing donations.  From this room they can accept donations and well as distribute the clothes to those in need.  Sarah is the driving force behind the whole project:  Progetto 20K. She is 20 years old and is a college student!  LDS Charities provided the rent for this space which includes the computers/phone charging/lawyer space.

Our boss:  Gilles Francois.  We are touring the now disbanded complex of Don Rito, Caritas Priest.  The wooden house in the background was funded by LDS Charities to provide a space for the TDH (Terre des hommes) lawyer to give advice and counsel.

Don Rito (Caritas Priest) and Federica, who is the Terre des homme Head of Advocacy and with whom we discuss our TDH projects with.  She lives in Milan and has 2 children.  Her husband restores old cars.  You work with these people enough you really get attached.

Don Rito is the priest here, which was once a thriving living complex for women and children.  The neighbors didn't like it and the police were forced to shut it down.

Touring the Red Cross Camp with Terre des hommes.  TDH focuses on women and minors.  They are also in Sicily at the hotspots.

She was sweet and happy and was excited to practice her English!  Her name was Sarah and she is 8 years old.

These two men are from Iraq.  One had lived in Finland for 2 years, the other in Sweden.  They have to be in Italy to process their papers because this was their country of embarkment.  They live in the Red Cross Camp.

Red Cross Camp.  Some get to sleep in trailers of 6 people.  These unlucky souls get the huge tent with what seems like an innumerable amount of beds.  No privacy here!

Oxfam, WeWorld, Chiesa Valdese.  All working in the streets with the transitory refugees.

WeWorld was setting up a radio station direct from Sudan.  The boys were anxious to hear news from home.

The migrants that are in transit live under the freeway.  No toilets, running water, electricity.  They only stay a few days because they try on a daily basis to get across the border into France.  How?  Walk through the mountains mostly, but there are police and drones making sure they don't make it.

They figure that right now there are about 200 living under this bridge.  As I said, daily they try to cross into France.  Most get caught and sent back to Italy.  So sleep and try again when you wake up!

This lady refused to go to the Red Cross camp because her husband had left two days earlier to cross into France and told her to wait for him.  So there she sat, waiting for him.  

Intersos is also a group we work with.  Here is one of the workers taking down information.  One of the boys was a minor and was trying to be unified with family in England.  The other boys have no family anywhere.

Home sweet home.  It does break your heart.  It seems so hopeless.  How will it all end.  Or will it ever end?