The grandchildren who came from the sea


  • Photographer
    Sergio Marras
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Company/Studios
    Sergio Marras
  • Date of Photograph
    June 13th, 14th and 15th, 2015

A group of sicilian elderly people gave shelter to some african and asian immigrants who arrived from the sea at their retirement home, making them part of their family.

Story

Amidst the commotion stirred up by the avalanche of refugees reaching Europe these days, I made a unique discovery on the island of Sicily: a few young migrants have found sanctuary at an elderly people's retirement home. The grandfathers and grandmothers of Casa Valdese have welcomed them into their house, adopting them as if they were a part of their family, as grandchildren who came from the sea. Together they have turned a story of tragedy, solitude and neglect, into one of joy and delight.
Casa Valdese is nestled in the town of Vittoria, a small community of 60,000 inhabitants who provide agricultural services to the province of Ragusa, and does not enjoy a history of tourism or the cinematographic glamour of its peers Taormina, Palermo or Syracuse.
These elderly people had barely even heard of the refugee crisis on television and had never seen an African or an Asian person in their lives. Most of them were simply living out their last days, waiting for death to take them away.
Mrs. Corella, Mrs Melano, Beppino, Salvatore almost all of them are in their nineties, some are even about to turn one hundred. Neither of them expected much more out of life until the “ragazzi” came along: Abubakr, Anthony, Muhammad, Zerom, among many others, at first with forced smiles, anchored between terror and astonishment, which, little by little, they exchanged for smiles of gratitude and solidarity.
Taking turns to figure out which of their elderly friends has the best bingo strategy, dancing and singing together, taking long walks along the beach, playing guitar with Salvatore – who has recovered his singing talents thanks to the new visitors -; cooking, attending regular Italian lessons, organising football matches with the local police, or participating in the races organised by the sports clubs of Vittoria, these are the activities that keep the young men hopeful as they wait for the authorities to process their papers.

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