Camilla Spinazzi and Dario Dilucia La Perna have several things in common. They are both based in the MWH Milan office, work in the Energy Business Line, are energy experts and a lot of their energy is put into our Building a better world purpose, as their experience with charity “Mwendo” demonstrates.
Dario is the vice-president of Mwendo and coordinates several fund raising activities, in addition to setting up the annual voluntary summer camp in Wasa, Tanzania. “Mwendo was founded in Milan in 2006 by a group of friends that I later decided to join”, said Dario. “Its name is the Swaili word for “walking together” and represents the charity’s mission of collaboration in support of health and education projects in Tanzania”.
Although Camilla had known about Mwendo for some time, it was not until a business trip with Dario that she learned about the summer camps that the charity organizes for volunteers contributing to some of their African projects. “A few years ago, I started thinking of a way to use my spare time to help other people, but I did not know which charity I could contact, until I spoke with Dario. This is when I decided to join their program and to spend my 2012 summer holidays as a volunteer in the Wasa camp”.
Camilla’s group consisted of six people who came together from all over Italy, accompanied by a member of the charity board and hosted by the village parish
priest, father Giustino. The group was tasked with reporting on the progress made with the works funded by Mwendo’s donors. In fact, the construction of a Care and Treatment Clinic within the village is one of the charity’s priorities allowing these people to have access to medicines and to a proper health education which is crucial to restrict disease transmission to children and partners.
“During our stay, we had the chance to get involved in many more activities than originally expected”, Camilla explained. “When we realized that the sewage system of the health center was not completed, we helped local workers break walls, dig holes, set down pipes and build catch basins for the installation of different bathroom fixtures. We also went harvesting corn with the people of the village and got acquainted with the sisters of the neighbouring convent that run the primary and the female school for teachers. Thanks to the sisters, we understood the situation of the children of the village, orphans in particular, and their most urgent needs for the forthcoming years. We also had the chance to talk with the Ministry of Finance who visited the parish during our stay.”
She added: “However, one of the most touching parts of my experience in Wasa was meeting the families of the children supported through the Mwendo distance adoption program. During such visits and while talking to these very hospitable people, we soon realized that the AIDS pandemic has completely changed Tanzania’s family structure. Most of the families we visited were composed of grandmothers/grandfathers raising several nephews or of youngsters looking after sisters, brothers, cousins, and relatives in general. The middle-aged population is almost disappearing, leading to a decrease of the adult workforce progressively replaced by young boys and girls who have to drop out of school in order to take care of the family.”
Dario said: “I was very happy to welcome Camilla to our charity. We need many volunteers to carry out our projects in Tanzania and I know she will continue helping us recruit people and raise funds. We were happy to include some pictures of her African experience in the 2013 Mwendo calendar, whose revenues will be entirely devoted to the completion of the Wasa health centre.” And he concluded: “Our motto is pole pole ndio mwendo, which in Kiswahili means “slowly, slowly is the way”.
To view the 2013 Mwendo calendar pictures, click here: http://www.mwendo.org/calendario-2013/
