Real life stories

My name is Walid. I was born in Egypt and I grew up there but then I left.

In Egypt I used to work in the fields with my parents. We cultivated peppers, corn and other vegetables.

The work was tiring and hard. I always used to bring some water with me to beat the heat.

At night, my mother used to help me to wipe away sweat and dirt. I came back very tired and I loved that moment.

I used to go to school once a week and my teacher used to hit me because I was often absent. It was nice to meet my classmates, but in those moments, I would have rather worked than being at school.

Now I want to learn Italian and a new profession. I am happy to be here. For long time I dreamt about a future, a new job and a peaceful life and now all this seems real and possible!

The message I would like to send is that I am convinced that children should not work and should have the opportunity to learn as much as possible.