Pavia, Italy
"When I arrived as a volunteer in Lima, I wondered what was the strongest emotion I was experiencing. Everything was happening slowly and quickly at the same time, and my heart was filled with sensations that were difficult to sort out. In the end, I understood that what moved me was not only love or compassion: it was authentic beauty, that which is born of contrast.
I saw a gray city, with walls separating rich and poor, with neighborhoods where violence is routine and children who dare not dream. But I also saw tomatoes blooming in the desert, humble houses decorated with care, bread shared by those who barely had enough to eat. I saw smiles on faces scarred by dust, living faith in homes without soil, and pride in those who receive little or nothing from the State.
Among all the images, I keep Nicolita: a little girl who cries a lot and does not receive many caresses. One day, she gave me a laugh so sweet and so pure that it surpassed the beauty of all the murals in the city.
Today I know that Lima is the most beautiful city I have ever seen, not because of its landscapes, but because there I discovered that true beauty is born where you least expect it... and that, if you know how to look at it, it changes you forever.
Filippo, Pavia, Italy.
