I was born and grown up in Milan, where now I work for an international bank. Between June and July 2023, I have been hosted by JRS in Belgrade for 2 weeks and I volunteered in the Integration House. I decided to have the experience in JRS House in order to have a direct experience with the migrants: every day I hear from the news stories on migrants – especially on those coming from the Mediterranean Sea; I didn’t know much about the other way, the Balkan route, used by the people from East to reach European continent.

For me it is not easy to talk about this experience because of all the stories I heard, the sorrow I saw and the sorrow I can only image behind those faces of unaccompanied children I met in the Integration House. The boys were of various ages, they reached the place after leaving their country and families and walking for weeks across unknown lands, with the goal to settle in Germany or in Northern Europe. When they came to Serbia they were found in such wretched conditions, both physical and psychological and they were offered a place in the Integration House where could get safety, the comfort of a bed, food and medical assistance (often they arrive to Serbia with serious health problems).

Every day I used to walk from the JRS apartment to the House and to spend the time with the boys living there: we had English and Geography workshops, we played in the background of the House, went to the cinema and once I also tried my best to cook some pasta dishes for them. It wasn’t easy at the beginning to connect with them: so many differences among us in cultures, nationalities, languages, ages and even sex – still there was an exchange, something to do with mutual respect, morning smiles and – eventually – trust. To me most importantly was to foster in them the hope that there are people who still care about them, and nobody is left alone on this earth – despite all the shame experienced.

Many things impressed me at the Integration House.

Firstly, the care of all professional staff that every day give to the children education, medical support and all attention to help them being children again – children are given freedom to continue their journey if they want and staff knows very well some of them don’t want to stay in Serbia and may decide to leave the House one day or the other to continue their journey towards a different destination – still the workers’ care towards each of them was amazing.

Another remark is that this experience connected me to people who were very far from my way to live, getting to know the stories behind each child made me realizing that the world has no limit: I can only barely image what are the struggles behind the choice of a family who let a 4-5 year child go on his own, all the way from East to Europe searching for a better life.

I left Serbia with more questions than answers, but one thing I’m more convinced now: when it comes about dealing with the big sorrow of the world, it is all about people: when the persons are put at the center, regardless their culture or religion, the hope in a better world wins and we can still see human wonders as I saw in the Integration House in Belgrade.

Alessia F.