Welcoming Afghan Refugees, an Italian Spring

The mimosas that Issam gave to the Afghan women hosted by the Una città non basta cooperative on March 8th have in a certain sense inaugurated the first Italian spring for the families welcomed in Marino, at the cooperative’s headquarters, and for which AMU also contributes to covering medical and legal expenses and for first reception interventions . In the evening, the girls went out for dinner to celebrate the anniversary. Women’s rights are a topic that is close to their hearts, so much so that on March 26th, when the Afghan New Year was celebrated, they participated in a meeting at the intercultural library in Rome where the rights of Afghan women were discussed, on a pleasant day in which each brought a typical dish from their own culture to share and celebrate with the others. This autonomous movement is the result of the work carried out so far by the operators of Una città non basta. Moreover, despite some small or large difficulties, the Italian life of these families is now taking shape. All members of the three families have been granted refugee status and are awaiting an electronic residence permit: the legal process can therefore be considered concluded. However, health checks continue . The elderly head of the family complained of back pain and did so in a rather lively manner: he spoke in bursts to the operators of Una città non basta, gesticulating, even though he knew that no one understood his words. He is a stubborn man: for a long time he preferred to sleep on the floor rather than on the bed, and these back pains are partly the result of his stubbornness in refusing a more comfortable bed, partly a natural consequence of age. And then there is the story of the medicines: “We understood – says Sara – that in Afghanistan he took a lot of medicines, it was probably their habit, so he thought that those prescribed by Italian doctors were not enough to cure him”. But the visits and an x-ray of his back confirmed his overall good health. The health of the baby born prematurely in January is also good: the initial concern has subsided, the little one has undergone a complete check-up, he is well, and his development is within the growth parameters of newborns. The mother has also recovered, Sara remembers that it was not an easy period for the woman: “The postpartum period was complicated. She had some health problems, but the doctor who examined her confirmed that it was all due to the strong stress she had undergone. Having left her country, having given birth to her child here and ahead of schedule, the fact that her parents are still in Afghanistan: everything contributed to causing her a state of anxiety that turned into physical ailments”. To be on the safe side, Una città non basta has booked a specialist visit for the woman in mid-May. Stress, anxiety, worries and the fear we experience remain our companions for a long time, whether we are aware of it or not. Even for children. One of the two little ones from the second family unit that arrived in Marino in November had a health problem for which he was admitted to the Bambin Gesù hospital for some tests: “He is a very shy child, closed, who avoids looking at the face of those who speak to him. This is his emotionality – This is how Sara describes it, adding – we are monitoring his situation. The doctors have prescribed a medicine to take in case the problem recurs. But now the little one seems to have calmed down”.