The mission didn’t start as we expected. Our flight was late and we were forced to an almost sleepless night in Istanbul. When we arrived we were so tired and so much in need of rest. The temperature was over 40 degrees and it was very difficult to keep concentrated and not give in to fatigue as we worked from 8 in the morning until 11 in the evening. Time is always running out, even when you think you have enough days to carry out all the activities planned. There are always so many things to do and now we support 111 groups of orphans. It takes us at least three days, on different occasions, to look for them, gather and hug them.

Slowly we are witnessing significant improvements in their conditions: small things such as a few more kilos, a bigger smile and a little more trust in the world of adults that has brought to them so much harm. Many children attend the Rainbow Tent, which really plays a vital role in the small economy of the camp. Unfortunately, not all of them, but the teacher is trying to introduce more and more children to that oasis of peace and colors. We brought two huge suitcases from Italy with materials for the Rainbow Tent. They are a gift from very close supporters, that we had the chance to meet thanks to a series of exchanges of love and prayer in the most varied and wonderful forms. Near the camp we bought a piece of furniture that will be used to put all the tent materials in order. Now the children have backpacks sewn by the volunteers of ‘Little Dress for Africa’, a lot of school material and a place to store everything. Every month we reward the two most outstanding children with a gift and this time the prize goes to two girls: Malek and Alham. This little incentive helps us to bring more children to the Rainbow Tent and this is our primary purpose. The method may not seem orthodox, but those children live in the middle of nowhere and often have no parents to tell them to go to school and explain how important it is for their future. We need to find a way to light a sparkle and give them the chance for a better future. During this mission we also met the new owner of the market where children buy goods for the value of their distance support Vouchers. He seems to be a good and precise person, so we hope this time we don’t have to replace him because of various misunderstanding, as happened with the previous owner. He provided the shop with a good supply of powdered milk, that we were able to buy and distribute to the mothers in need.

Thanks to the fundraising launched before leaving for the camp, we were able to cover all the expenses for the milk supplies. A large donation from the Acquaviva association, a group of wonderful people, helped us to collect the necessary amount. We also spent a lot of time cooperating with our referents, in order to analyse the various problems of the camp and plan the actions that we believe are useful to solve them. Finally, we dedicated time to the most vulnerable children and families, the ones who need a closer support, and we delivered the donations destined to the operations of Farah and Amina. The moments spent sitting together and talking, listening to their stories, exchanging dreams, is always the best time that makes every sacrifice worth making.