ASSOCIATION
We decided to join us in an Association after a long route started in 1991, when some of us have been for the first time in Kenya to visit some Consolata Fathers Missions.
In the following years association members, relatives and partners have been many times in Kenya, Tanzania, Benin and Nigeria for volunteer and study activities. In Kenya we have been in Makuyu, Karaba Wango, Kahawa, Mombasa, Sagana, Lodokejek and Karurina (Embu). In Nigeria we’ve been at Ibadan, in Tanzania at Iringa and in Benin we’ve been in Parakou.
The most important activities of these years are:
- blacksmith activity and training of kenyan young people in blacksmith work by a very close partner of us; they together produced daily use objects like handcarts and bike carts to carry any sort of goods, carousels for children and tricycles (handbikes) for disabled people who can still use arms. One of the youngs who had worked with him managed to open a workshop on his own, giving a job to some workers;
- organization of oratory (animation) activities for children in cooperation with young people;
- anthropological studies in Samburu District for Turin University.
Such experiences, so many amazing meetings and precious sharing with a lot of african and western people who had lived there for entire life and observation of life conditions brought us to the decision to unite us in an association on 7th April 2013. The chosen name for the association is shamba. This Kiswahili word means: piece of land suitable to be cultivated, fertile field, farming, work and food for family, family roots and…hope for the future generations.
Our small Association has got following aims:
- sensitize italian and african people about solidarity and international and local cooperation
- promote knowledge about foreign cultures
- help people to go back to their land, find a job, develop their own business, have an education and training and improve their life conditions, in the respect of environment and community.
Contact us to share experiences, ideas and advices. Thank you!
