RAFFAELLA
ANNA: What do you do for a living?
RAFFAELLA: I work at the Dante Alighieri Society, which is an institution, a third sector organization, founded in 1889. Its mission is to promote the Italian language in Italy and around the world. It has a very complex structure and several projects, like one aimed at Chinese students, and now I’ve launched a program of courses for migrants to be held at our committees in Italy.
A: Do you think it’s a commitment that goes beyond just working for the sake of working?
R: Absolutely, yes. You need to nurture relationships with the people you work with, often they are volunteers. You have to learn to be truly welcoming not only to those who come to us, but also among colleagues. The first courses we launched for migrants in Syracuse were for a group of women who had a strong need for a space to simply be together and share moments.
A: And within this space, what are the teachers’ responsibilities?
R:To teach—not just Italian, but also how to order at a café, how to get around the city, how to live daily life in a culture that’s different from their own.
A: How do you think the person you are has shaped your work and vice versa?
R: I’m very religious, and I believe that already gives you a mindset that values certain aspects of life, right? That’s why I took part in a Caritas project called “A Refugee in My Home” and hosted a young man from the Ivory Coast who lived with us for a year and a half. He’s now part of our family, and I helped him bring his wife here. My mother was a foreigner and had a much more open-minded attitude, and I learned a lot from her. I try to create a sense of community wherever I go.
A: What was one of her greatest teachings?
R: My mother always used to say: “Remember that every choice has its consequence.” That phrase felt like torture to me because I’ve made so many mistakes… eventually, I became a bit like her. I also believe in shock therapy. I dive in and do things.
A: That takes a lot of courage. Do you have fears?
R: My psychologist once told me to list ten serious things that had happened in my life, and I couldn’t even name one… I always find solutions to bad things, I face them. Yes, I do have fears, but I usually find a way to move forward.
I’m afraid of our society, of where the world is going, and unfortunately, I can’t control everything. I’m more angry than anything else.
A: What deeper aspects do you find in being a woman?
R: Among women, first and foremost, there’s solidarity and a sharing of both good and bad. Women can give birth, they are always creators. Being a feminist means fighting both outside and inside the home.
A: What would you like for the women who have just arrived in Italy, the ones you teach?
R: I’d like them to never feel alone. I have hope and the belief that human beings can be less awful than we think. I want them to be close to people they can simply talk to and relate with.