(ANS – Khartoum) – In 2012 the Salesian NGO “Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo” (VIS) set up a project in Khartoum to support refugee children in the Mayo camp, cofinanced by Cerveteri Solidale Onlus and UNICEF. In the last days of January Gabriele Buracchi, a VIS volunteer, spent a whole, very meaningful day there.

The VIS “Child Friendly Learning Space for Returnee Children of Mayo” Project seeks to offer education to around 600 children, all refugees from South Sudan or areas which still see fighting between the new State and the Government in Khartoum.

“I few wanted to sum up the day just past”, Mr Buracchi said “we could say it was constructive, or just so-so, or that there is still so much to be done. Here in Khartoum at times there are days that give rise to all these states of mind, and this was the case today”.

“It was a constructive day in Mayo today”, he went on. “When we arrived the schools were packed with children from 6-14 years of age ready to welcome the visitors. It5 was a happy atmosphere, with local songs and national anthems of both South and North Sudan and a good sign of respect and integration between the two macro-communities in the country. The pupils were at ease and when we asked them what big things they wanted to achieve, a host of hands shot up, all wanting to express their wish. At the end there was a noisy applause, and lots of laughter”.

“And it was just a so-so day in Mayo”, the volunteer added. “The pupils run to get breakfast: a plate of lentils and a bread roll, put down at the centre of groups of 5 children which formed up spontaneously. A teacher explains the real reason for the shared meal: these are the only bread rolls available for the children. Two classes eat at a time otherwise there would not be enough left to eat. As for lack of exercise books, they use some creativity. Some block notes are made by cutting exercise books in half and holding the pages together with sticky tape”.

“And today I have also understood that there is much to be done: a total of 17 classes of which 5 are in brick classrooms, 7 of earth and straw and the rest have all collapsed for want of funds to repair them at the end of the rainy season. The same goes for the toilets, all in bad disrepair because of the weather”.

Mr Buracchi concludes: “One finds oneself uncertain at the end of the day. On the one hand discouragement and on the other encouragement. I have to say that I put the first aside quickly and set out for the second. After seeing the situation, the motivation of students and teachers, those helping… believing in things and keeping on with the hard work seems the only way to go”.

Published 08/02/2012