A visit to the Salesian house in Manouba took place onn the afternoon of 14 June. Mr Magro was accompanied by Peter Kovac, Secretary of the World Confederation, Fr Joan Lluís Playà, Central Delegate of the Rector Major for the Salesian Family Secretariat, and Br Dominc Nguyen, SDB, Delegate of the Rector Major for EXA-DB and the Salesian Cooperators.

The visit went far beyond the formality of a greeting and an exchange of information. The harmony of intentions and shared experiences transformed the moment into an authentic affirmation of Salesianity.

Manouba's Union had been in the making for some time. The rich experience of solidarity and organisational capacity of its members came together in its organisation; the impetus of the Salesian community led by Fr Domenico Paternò, Superior of the recently established North African District (CNA); the creative spirit of the young past pupils; the shared conviction that Don Bosco's educational system can reach very solid levels of personal and social transformation, with a bright future.

The Union has already taken the formal steps of its constitution: drafting the statutes, electing the members of the board of directors, submitting the documentation to the competent authority, joining the World Confederation... And, above all, it specified its objectives and its field of action. And that is, it does not want to be only an environment in which to have a closed group experience, but rather a space from which to project towards others, in what is considered most necessary: to collaborate with educators and families in the development of children's capacities for solidarity and transformation; to respond as much as possible to the needs of the environment; to create spaces for formation and dialogue... All imbued with the values of life, peace, coexistence, tolerance, respect, joy, hope and love.

During the meeting, talks went further than simply good theories theories, but extended to beliefs born from concrete experiences had inside and outside the educational space of the school. This, according to Bryan, provides the origins of the Union with the fundamental climate for its subsequent growth. Fr Playà underlined a curious coincidence: the Salesian presence in Manouba dates back 35 years. “What happened at Valdocco when Don Bosco was 35?” he asked. It was 1851. Among the young people welcomed by Don Bosco to the Oratory was Carlo Gastini, who years later would lay the foundation stone of the Association of Past Pupils of Don Bosco. "Today you play the part of Carlo Gastini, laying the foundations of an Association that is called to develop a great mission among and for the Tunisian people. In Don Bosco's Miriam house you will find, like Don Bosco himself, inspiration and help. ”

“It's hard to describe everything we've experienced. Without a doubt, it will remain in everyone's memory" commented Fr Playà. The following day provided a second moment of conviviality, during which all the participants renewed the awareness that Don Bosco has no borders; that the Salesian charism "preserves all authentically human values" ; and that "his humanism strives to give meaning to everyday life, and to provide a reason for hope and future prospects for the individual and for society", as expressed in the Charter of Identity of the Salesian Family.

The seed of the Salesian Family among the Tunisian people, and with it in the North African Circumscription, is sprouting through the Association of Past Pupils and Friends of Don Bosco: a new source of joy for all the groups that are part of it.

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