The project was presented this past May 11 during a round table entitled "IN & OUT. Beyond hardship to start flying again." This initiative involves many entities: it was wanted by the Sacred Heart Salesian Hospice, is financed by Unicef, and partnered by the Salesian Federation for Social Work, the "Naturalmente" Association, the Missionaries of the Risen Christ and the Borgo Ragazzi Don Bosco.
From an operational point of view, the project primarily involves welcoming these young people, often invisible to those who do not want to care for them. "According to 2016 data from the Ministry of Labor,” explained the spokesperson, Fr Raffaele Panno, “over 6,100 unaccompanied minors are clandestine, therefore outside the formal reception system." This is why the project aims to "pilot, document and evaluate coordinated multisectorial acrtions aimed at integrating them into Italian society".
As Don Bosco taught, the boys are sought out where they are, and first contact takes place in the streets, in the Termini station: "For a first chat”, Don Panno explained, “to check their documents or just to rest and personal hygiene." Then comes the proposal for schooling and vocational training. Primarily, however, it is to make these young people feel worthy of attention, "so the choice of the name assigned to the project is not random."
For now, there are 5 Egyptian children who are the first beneficiaries of this initiative, which, in order to guarantee ever-greater need for shelter, requires increasingly larger spaces, why collaboration between the various local organizations is a fundamental pillar.
"That of the Borgo,” explained Fr Stefano Aspettati, the Center's Director, “is not an idealistic do-gooder refuge or shelter. We want to create real communities and to network with the institutions and the territory in a mutual cooperative fashion. We intend to implement the pedagogy of our founder,” added Fr Giovanni D'Andrea, President of the
