"From the Horses Mouth"
It's been for me the first time in my life that I decided to leave for so long time from my country. I thought, "Why not?" I should have the possibility to meet people from different countries. I should have the luck to visit a new country, to "learn" better English language (Scottish English) but could also have the possibility to see how people work in the social field! So I decided to leave Genoa, leave my job, my house, my family, my friends, weather (the sun) and Italian food! I thought "I will not die!" I had only one security: a particular Scottish Gentleman that I had met on another occasion in the past .... Surprise, he was the same man since the moment that I arrived at the airport!!
Now I remember many things about the six week period. 42 days, and every day has been for me stimulating, funny, and also sometimes very tiring! Now I have not only many many pictures from my camera, but more and more different sensations in my life. I'm sure to nave found many friends from six different countries but the most important thing is that I've found myself different. When I spent five jays at Kingairloch, three days in Dunkeld, three days in Edinburgh, two days in Perth and one day in Glasgow and 28 in Falkirk I felt I was sharing my life with people that I knew for such a short time, and the strange thing was that for me it was normal. In my life in Italy it would not have been normal, before I give confidence to somebody at home I need to have more time. In Scotland there wasn't time, every minute was lived with great intensity.
The CIF Programme wasn't 'only' to go wild, but I've seen other parts of life, the part of my profession, sometimes so human but sometimes so raw and real. I visited a Juvenile Prison; a ResidentialSchool; some Foster Families. I took part in different group meetings including for adoption and young offenders. I saw many people with personal problems. I visited young people in their homes. This is the kind of life I have seen for 36 hours and more in a week, in my professional life for the last eight years and it doesn't matter if I'm in Italy or not because things are very much the same all over Europe. The human problem is a general problem. The differences between people is the culture of the country because that shapes the life style. The weather, the food, the music, the smells are all included as they colour each country and make the differences. I found many Scottish colleagues who work in the same social work field as myself with a different enthusiasm and a different passion. I have begun to understand that to continue to do this job it is necessary to have many passions. In this moment I don't feel the same passions and I miss it. I saw many workers who work with interest but especially they believe in what they do. I observed with curiosity everything even if sometimes I was tired and was a foreigner.
I want to spend some words for the Host Families. I had the opportunity to stay with three different families and they gave me the possibility to meet their friends. To spend with them their free time. To share with them their house, their family, their intimacy, their food and on some occasion also their job. I haven't met before this kind of people and they've been fantastic.
Iain was the centre of everything and everybody, and without him this couldn't happen!! Iain has been the soul of the group and he's been a central point of reference for the organisation and the relations with host families and the different Agencies. I'm sure that he will be a good teacher for Catriona, because for us he was a "dad"!
Before I left Italy for the CIF Programme I was anxious. During the programme I was happy but also tired. At the end I cried because I was leaving many marvellous people!
Paola Villa
Genoa Italy