Dear All,
with great delay I wrote the last page of this glob. I left Kalongo in the 20th of August and I’m currently in Milan.
It is hard to express to all of you the meaning of my experience in Kalongo. In order to do that, I’ve to start from the beginning.
When the Foundation came to my university offering a period of internship in Kalongo, I was attracted by the proposal but with a lot of doubts. However, I felt that the “Kalongo” was the best choice for me since the first interview with the Foundation.
And all the doubts disappeared as soon as I landed in Kalongo: I suddenly felt at home.
I could talk about my job there or about the amazing places I have the opportunity to visit. For sure we did a very well job and we had the opportunity to go for a Safari or to see the amazing landscape from the top of Kalongo Mountain.
But the best thing of Kalongo are people and their feelings. In Kalongo, I really understand the importance of some values that, maybe, in our society are not considering so important yet. Gratitude, Family, Love, the Strength of a Smile. People in Kalongo live in a very difficult and problematic environment. However they always smile, they are always available to offer their help and they have a great sense of gratitude in front of who try to help them. I never forget our goodbye party. They said us thanks praying, singing and dancing. In that moment my heart was full of joyful. And I cannot forget when the Kalongo football team decided to give me the shirt n.8 with printed my name. For us is only a shirt. But, maybe, they will not have the chance to buy another one.
I left Kalongo with something of all the people I had the chance to meet inside me.
Today Kalongo is in my heart and will remain forever and ever.
Best
Federico
