To Trieste with Baobab

The Baobab crew from Rome drove to Trieste and we met them at the nearby frontier town of Gorizia.  They had a group of volunteers called The Forum Gorizia that they wanted us to meet.  The Forum Gorizia is similar to Baobab, just not as organized or as large, but their needs were similar:  one of the biggest needs was for shoes!  The Forum Gorizia wants to model their volunteer organization after Baobab.

 The Baobab crew this time was Andrea (on the phone) and Renardo, Marcia, Beta,  Sonia.  Baobab is run fully by volunteers as we have mentioned before.  We asked about how they came to be so organized!  It's an interesting story and they have had lots of bumps along the way.  Andrea said they started in May 2015 on Via Cupa (near Tiburtina station).  Italy needed an info point for the refugees at the train stations.  To welcome them and to give the arrivals information.  At first everybody was bringing water, then Andrea said, "Look, you bring water, and you bring milk, and they put up a sign-up sheet "  That was the start, and that is why Andrea is the director!!!

  Today they have their volunteers over certain aspects of running their camp:  Beta handles all the minors and refers them to MEDU and INTERSOS and her day job is an employee at the Telephone company.  Marcia handles all the cultural activities and sports and her day job is as an archeologist and she is currently working in the Jewish catacombs in Rome.  Valario(not in photo) does all the sporting events and helps with the legal team and he is a policeman.  Andrea is the 'director' and he is in glass works and makes stained glass creations.  Sonia coordinates the health groups (Medu and MSF) and her day job is caring for one child.  Renardo is in charge of clothes distribution and sports activities.  Miriam (not in photo) is the one who knows everybody in the camp and takes care of new arrivals.  She is a French teacher.  Raphaella helps with clothes distribution and is an architect.  Giovanna is the coordinator of the legal team and I didn't get her daytime job..probably a lawyer!  One of our favorites is Rosaria who handles the finances and she is a retired Librarian.   Of course there are many others....this is just a random example.

Baobab provides mediators to Red Cross, MSF, etc.  They want to organize courses to train mediators.  In the Cara and Sprara facilities run by the government the refugees receive 35euro/day from the government and UN and EU.  Sometimes the refugees get 2 euro/day so how is the other 33 euro spent?  Some make the most of that money, others do not.  One volunteer, Michelle has a book store by the Colosseum.  Baobab sends the refugees that want to stay in Italy to Michelle to make CV's.  There should be a 'Michelle' in every camp but there is not.

Baobab got an idea that was done on Ellis Island:  they are taking names, ages, where the refugee is from and where they are going. Up until 2016, Italy wanted the refugees to leave Italy so they didn't bother with fingerprints and record keeping.  Baobab wants a record should posterity want to know where their ancestors were.

 These people never wanted to start a camp, but felt the necessity.  Their motto now?  "We are here until the last guest leaves."  Right now nobody is at the camp during the night, but they feel that it is inevitable that it will be needed.  "Luckily there has been no violence in the camp"

Now you see why we are so impressed with these people.  They are quite the example for us.

We first checked out an area under a bridge where there had been hundred of refugees 'squatting'...but it has all been cleared out.  Literally on the other side of the tunnel is Slovenia.

There were notes attached that stated sentiments such as 'we are all equal' and 'let them live where they can'....basically messages of support for the refugees.

We held our meeting in a local community center in Gorizia.  It didn't have any heat...but the topic was expressed very warmly.  The refugees in Trieste are mostly from the Balkan route:  Afghanistan, Syria, Bangladesh.

The Baobab group again down by the river, in search of the refugee camps.  Freezing cold.

A 'home' where we talked to several of the refugees.  Turns out that in this cold winter period, most of them have moved into the Caritas camp in Gorizia.  

This particular guy was holding out his 'spot' even in the winter cold.  Afterwards Andrea asked him if he needed a warmer sleeping bag....and of course he had one in his car ready to give to him!

Luciano Capaldo from Gorizia (on the right of Tom) is the bridge between the refugee camps and the government.  He is a social worker and educator for the community.  He knows the leaders of the camps and the leaders of the government and handles the communication between the two.

A tour of the shower, and he also showed me the inside of the 'house'....Really, it's awful.  But they do have a choice to go to the Caritas Camp.  They prefer this situation over the camp b/c of over-crowding in the camp.

We were in Trieste for Sunday.  I looked on the internet for church times and was a bit surprised to find that Sacrament meeting was last....at 11:40am.  So we weren't rushing to be there at 9:30 since it was just RS/Priesthood and we got there a bit late.  Turns out we missed Sacrament meeting.  They had changed in Jan and hadn't switched it on the website yet.  Ooops.  When the shorter man found out what had happened, he enlisted this return missionary and they prepared Sacrament just for us!  We were so humbled and grateful!

Don't know their names, but they were angels to us!  So we were able to stay for RS/Priesthood after all, and it turned out to be a good thing.  I was able to have a nice chat with the Stake RS President and she was excited to learn about us.  She wants to talk to all her RS Presidents and see if any members are already working with refugee organizations and see how the local branches/wards can get involved....and if LDS Charities can help them out.  I expect there will be some great projects from this enthusiastic Stake RS President.  She wondered why she hadn't heard about us before.  I told her we had given a presentation to all the Stake Presidents.  Her response?  "You should have given it to all the Stake RS Presidents and then something would have happened!"  She cracked me up.