A little story

It was a grey morning of a quaint Tunisian winter, and I was leaving Tunis to visit some silicon caves, approximately 140km from the capital. There was a light spring-like drizzle and a magical scenery. Along the way, we encountered a white pick-up truck which had around 20 children, from 4 to 12 years old, in the back; they were on their way to school. Even though they were all wet from the rain, they were singing happily because of where they were going.

 

It was in that moment that I realized that something had to be done to help these children who, despite the cold and wet conditions, were happy to go to school. I kept that image in my mind all day long, while visiting the caves, and those happy children in the pick-up stuck in my head until evening. Then, I was walking through a Tunisian market when I saw the painting and asked the merchant about its meaning. He simply told me: “these are the African women who cry their pain through their songs. It is about the damage that international corporations are making to Africa.”. Those words were a revelation; I immediately bought the painting and, on my way to the hotel, began to think about organizing an auction to buy one or two school buses to donate to the children’s school.

 

The painting was later acquired by the Project Africa Foundation, who donated the money to buy those two buses for the schools of the little Tunisian village which I still don’t know the name of. Up until today, Covid-19 has impeded the process of finding and buying the buses, but some days ago I met an Umbrian gentleman (who has kindly requested to remain anonymous) who offered us the 2 vehicles for a discounted price, more accessible to us (far below the actual value).

Thanks to this, the dream of providing the children with a school bus that will allow them to go to school in any weather while happily singing their songs, will become reality.

Giovanni Maria Bonci