Twenty-three years with Celim, a third of my life, quite an accomplishment! Who would have thought, twenty-three years ago, on the threshold of 50, that my life would change so radically? At that age you begin to think about pulling the oars in the boat, reaping what you have cultivated and setting yourself up for a future marked by your past.

Instead, what happens is that a desire arises to get back into the game, into a field that is totally unfamiliar even if dreamed of. So here are my ten years as a Celim volunteer in Olga’s Italian Corner project in Livingstone, years full of discoveries, personal growth and meaningful encounters. And now? The experience in Zambia is a value that I think I can give back to young people who are about to embark on the path of international volunteering.

Tiziana Bertolotti
Zambia