A month ago, the first group of UCS went back to Italy, after eleven months spent in Tanzania at KISEDET; here are their testimonies.
Sofia: “Spending a year in Tanzania was incredible: I had the opportunity to get to know wonderful people, their culture and their language (Swahili), and also get to know myself better. Kisedet has been working with people in disadvantaged situations for many years, and I am very grateful to have seen up close their mindful and constant work for the local communities and the respect towards their rights and dignity.
The Civil Service is a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth. I left a part of me in Dodoma and Chigongwe, I will definitely return to those places and I will continue to support Gruppo Tanzania and Kisedet from Italy.”
Giorgia: In October 2022 I left for Tanzania to carry out the Universal Civil Service at KISEDET NGO and after 11 months I returned to Italy with a baggage full of beautiful memories and awareness.
Spending almost a year in this wonderful country opened my eyes to a totally different reality from what I have always been used to and enriched me by giving me new perspectives and points of view. The reality of KISEDET is undoubtedly stimulating but also challenging: working daily with children and young people from disadvantaged situations is difficult and unpredictable , but the professionalism and passion of the operators ensures that many projects are accomplished.
The Universal Civil Service is a unique and unforgettable experience for anyone who wants to get involved both on a professional and personal level: in addition to having worked at KISEDET I have had the opportunity to travel within the country and cultivate relationships that I hope will last forever. ASANTE SANA!
Chiara: On October 18, 2022, I left Italy without too many expectations, I didn’t want to set limits or pressure myself for what I was going to do. And so, I arrived at the gates of KISEDET with caution.
The welcome was the warmest, everyone was enthusiastic, curious and ready to make me, and my companions, feel welcomed as if we were new members of their family. And that’s how we felt, and we felt that those 10 months would be the greatest!
In more than one occasion we felt the cultural differences and the different approach to everyday life, but once you embrace the spirit of “pole pole” (slowly) and understand that the concept of “everything right away” exists, you will find yourself immersed in a chaotic and happy world.
KISEDET NGO and its Italian counterpart GR TZ ONLUS play a very important role in supporting street children and young people in Dodoma (and beyond). This is why I was proud and honored to have been chosen to contribute to the work that these organizations have been carrying out for more than twenty years. Our work was not just an office job, but we had the opportunity to live closely with the beneficiaries of the projects.
It’s been almost a month now since we returned to Italy. I can say with absolute certainty that what they call the “homesickness for Africa” is a real feeling, and not a day goes by that I want to open the windows and find myself in front of the magnifice baobabs and the rocks that I admired every morning in the village of Chigongwe, which was our home, in these months in Tanzania.
Asante Tanzania. Asante KISEDET NGO. Tutaonana tena (we will see each other again).
Veronica: Finding the words to describe the SCU is difficult. When you go back home, you don’t know what to say, it’s not just an experience, it’s a year of your life, which changes you, your perspective, your interests and ideas, even on an unconscious level.
I consider it a privilege to have experienced moments that forced me to fight prejudice and put myself in other people’s shoes: a habit that must be trained, even if it’sometimes tiring.
It’s not about saving someone, it’s about understanding, observing, having patience, listening, offering your time to boys and girls, offering support and advice to colleagues, receiving support and advice from them, unlearning wrong judgements, conversing, getting to know each other and living together peacefully.
I would choose this project a thousand times over and wish the best for future SCUs.
The activities of KISEDET NGO and the efforts of GR TZ to raise funds are tangible and I will gladly continue to support them.
On October 4th the new SCU arrived: Davide, Elisa, Simone and Agnese. They will stay with us until 04 September 2024.
In the next Newsletter we will tell you about them.