An experience that transformed me
By Edoardo Zezza, Italy / Development Volunteer team April 2024
My name is Edoardo, I am 29 years old and I am from Turin, Italy.
In the last years I have chosen a personal journey of research and change, driven by the desire to escape from a reality that I felt less and less like mine.
What I was looking for was an experience capable of transforming me, of giving me back a more authentic sense of life and of myself. So I decided to join CICD to participate in a volunteer project in Zambia with Humana People to People: an adventure that changed everything.
My experience was much more than a simple journey: it was a total immersion in a reality profoundly different from mine, which changed my way of thinking, feeling and seeing the world. Starting with the desire to give a deeper meaning to my life, I found myself in a context that challenged me in every aspect, pushing me well beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone. Living for months without stable electricity, without running water, and in conditions in which every daily gesture required ingenuity and patience, made me deeply appreciate what I previously took for granted.
Fighting HIV/AIDS with information and activities.
The project I joined is focused on supporting orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) and the fight against HIV, through educational activities, home visits and the strengthening of local communities. I worked with different groups: from the “Teens Clubs”, where HIV-positive children learned to live with their condition and take care of their health, to the “Saving Groups”, which helped women and young people of the communities to save money and start small businesses. I participated in sexual health and hygiene education projects, and I visited families in the most rural villages to check that HIV treatments were being followed.
All this taught me that ignorance can only be fought with information and that even a simple exchange of ideas can concretely improve a person's life. I learned the value of listening and empathy, and above all I understood that my role was not that of a “savior”, but of an ally, of an active and humble presence. The smiles of the children, the dances with the women of the community, the conversations under a sky full of stars, were moments that touched me deeply and reminded me that happiness does not depend on what we own, but on how much we are able to share.
A new approach to life – also for me
This experience has radically changed my approach to life and the future. I stopped comparing myself to others based on standards imposed by society and began to measure my growth with more authentic parameters: the courage to be useful, the ability to adapt, the desire to connect with cultures and people. Today I look to the future with new eyes: I no longer seek a perfect life, but a life that has meaning. I want to continue building bridges between worlds, to live experiences that make me more human, and to carry with me the essence of this adventure, which taught me that the only true growth occurs when you choose to put yourself on the line, even where nothing is certain.
