Chiarela’s Dream
“The dream of becoming a doctor, which I had always nurtured, became even stronger when, years ago, my father and my brother were involved in a serious accident. The hospital became our home away from home because of a series of surgeries on my father’s legs. During that period I began to understand the difficulties patients had, especially those who didn’t have sufficient funds. “I’ll become a doctor,” I said, “and offer the hope of medical care to everyone.” My family was also in precarious financial conditions. My father, because of a permanent disability caused by the accident, couldn’t work anymore. When school was finished, my dream to study Medicine was shattered when my mother said to me: “We don’t have the money.” I wept bitterly, but then thought: “If Jesus wants this, then I want it too.” We had always been in touch with the Focolare, and they knew my great wish. Several days later, they telephone me to tell me that they had found someone who was willing to help me out financially. I was so happy! It was a sign of God’s love. I began school at the university. It wasn’t all so easy. Every day I needed a good dose of patience and endurance. There were students from different cultures and religions in my class and several of them were bullies towards me whose character was softer and submissive. I tried just the same to be friends with everyone and to stay united to Jesus who gave me strength to face every difficulty. I was also only sleeping for two hours at night because of the tons of pages I had to memorise. I spent all my time studying, but still I was unsuccessful in an exam or missed going out with my friends. And then I was really missing my family. But I was certain that God had plans for me. During the internship we worked 30 to 36 hour shifts on the ward with the patients, and that was really exhausting. We had to do many things at the same time, make sure that the patients were receiving care while studying for exams. The encounter with each patient was an opportunity to love. Even though I was tired and half asleep, I tried to present myself to them with lots of energy, smiling and listening with sincere compassion. In the hospital, the nurses tended to be short with us interns and liked to give us orders. Nevertheless, I tried to silence my pride and build relationships of friendship with them. After a while they changed their attitude. In my group there was one girl who was always contrary to everything and raising her voice against all of us. No one could stand her. I thought: “If I don’t love her, who will?” I learned to understand her difficulty and love her. At first it was hard, I because she always had something she wanted to obtain. I prayed to Jesus for courage and strength to persevere in my understanding attitude. In the en, she also began to understand me better and we became friends. If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that things can go less than well, but you can still grow stronger. I was afraid many times of not managing to “begin again,” which is the secret I’ve learned from Chiara Lubich. Now I’m a doctor and my dream has come true and I have many more opportunities to love God, serving him in my patients as I remember the Gospel sentence: “Whatever you did to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.”
The Cuba we dream of
“The first Genfest ever in Cuba ended on Sunday, August 12. It was dream that we had kept in our hearts, entrusted to God, and he made it happen!” So write the Youth for a United World in Cuba. A wave of young people from all over the island came to Havana for the Genfest, an event that had “many firsts.” In fact, they write, up until now “we had never been able to put together an event of this size, obtaining the necessary permissions from the Party office in charge of relationships with religious organizations, with whom there was an excellent collaboration. It was achieved with the help of artists and professionals who through their passion, dedication and by not holding anything back – despite enormous challenges – were able to give harmony and beauty to the content that the young people asked for, after months of working together.” The opening event took place in the historic centre of the city, where Pope Francis had invited the Cuban youth in September 2015 to foster “social friendships” with and among everyone, “to build the Cuba you dream of.” On Saturday, August 11, participants explored the theme of “Beyond all borders” in nine workshops about social economics, Economy of Communion, ecumenism, relationships, the skills need to build peace, postmodernism, etc. 
“In the afternoon, at one of the city’s famous cinemas with close to 600 participants, there were testimonies through art and shared experiences on how it is worth living for a united world. There was a profound moment in particular: an actress portrayed Chiara Lubich and her thoughts on how suffering generates life, which is the secret to going ‘beyond all borders.’” “This was the most beautiful experience of my life,” wrote one young woman, “where unity and love are the essence of a lifestyle that builds a more united world. You were able to awaken my faith and hope.” “For those of us who worked on this for almost a year,” says one of the organizers, “it was a long journey that was not without its challenges, due to conditions in the country. However, there was always the help of divine providence, which would arrive just at the right time to give us courage and resources: from South Korea, Colombia, Bulgaria, Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, the Philippines… “We threw ourselves into doing things we had never done before: singing, dancing, presenting on stage, telling our experiences, overcoming our shyness or being ashamed of anything. We learned to listen to each other more, not impose our opinions, and help ideas emerge together. Practically, we learned to love each other.” 
They add, “Genfest was an explosion of love and unity that revolutionized our city.” One of the participants said, “We are making history, not the kind that stays in books, but in the souls of all of us who think, work and participate in the Genfest. The memory of Old Havana remains, and today it is reborn thanks to the Youth for a United World.” “Collaborating with the other movements, youth outreach, and the Council of Churches in Cuba was really nice and productive,” they write. “Genfest in Cuba honored its objective ‘to go beyond every border,’ overcoming huge challenges during the preparation and because of how big it became. It demonstrates how for God, nothing is impossible. We are bringing this revolution of love to the whole world, and many people who did not know of our dream have now witnessed it. We thank all those who believed in this crazy adventure and were there with us with their support. What a profound joy it is to know that we are part of such a big family!”
Kerala Floods
A great number of displaced people waiting to return to their homes still submerged by the devastating floods, has in the meantime been gathered in 3,800 relief camps. The rescue and aid operations are brought ahead amid great difficulties due to the inaccessibility of some zones. In some cases, water and food have been launched from helicopters, given that roads and bridges have been destroyed. The local communities of the Focolare have written: “We’ve just returned from the Mariapolis (at about 300 km from Kerala) held with the members of the Word of Life groups scattered within a range of 120 km. Our hearts are with the people of Kerala which has been destroyed by the strong rains. We are still in the monsoon season, and the hot winds provoke these tropical typhoons. As far as we know, the members of the Movement are safe. A retreat had been programmed for the priests in Trivandrum (south Kerala), but it had to be cancelled since it is not safe to travel and many priests are involved in the tragedy. In the weekend, our local communities will be involved in gathering foodstuff and prime commodities to be sent to the stricken areas. We count on your prayers.” Also Pope Francis prayed for the victims and that “our solidarity and concrete support for the community will not be lacking.”
The following accounts were created for those who wish to donate:
| Azione per un Mondo Unito ONLUS (AMU – Action for a United World) | Azione per Famiglie Nuove ONLUS (AFN – Action for New Families) |
| IBAN: IT58 S050 1803 2000 0001 1204 344 at Banca Popolare Etica | IBAN: IT55 K033 5901 6001 0000 0001 060 at Banca Prossima |
| SWIFT/BIC code: CCRTIT2T | SWIFT/BIC code: BCITITMX |
| Description of payment: Kerala Emergency (India) | |
| The contributions paid in the two accounts with this payment description will be managed jointly by AMU and AFN. Tax reliefs are provided for such donations in many EU countries and in other countries in the world, according to diverse local norms. | |
Fatal Accident at the Focolare’s Hospital in Congo
Focolare president Maria Voce wrote to the local Focolare community in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “Let us ask the Father to welcome into His Kingdom of peace all those persons who lost their lives in this serious accident, while entrusting to His love the wounded and everyone involved.” The accident occurred on the morning of August 28th in the city of Limate, north of Kinshasa. A silo containing tons of wheat, owned by flour producer FAB Congo, collapsed on part of the Moyi mwa Ntongo Hospital and an adjacent company. Under the weight of the rubble some people lost their lives, including Valentine, a member of the Focolare who was in charge of the laundry services, while other victims were in nearby buildings. “There has been an outpouring of help and support, searching for her body,” writes Aga Kahambu on behalf of the local Focolare community, with police, Red Cross and volunteers working tirelessly. Some of the victims are FAB employees, but the number is still uncertain. It is a very sorrowful time for all of us, but the unity and solidarity among so many has helped to strengthen us.” 
According to the local newspaper, “Actualite.cd,” the count is provisional, because the incident occurred at rush hour” and it reports “significant damage to the facilities, with the destruction of radiology, diagnostics and other departments.” Constructed in 2006 and directed by the Focolare Movement, the medical centre Moyi Mwa Ntongo is considered an excellent facility with 55 beds. Built for the care of child blindness, the centre then took on other projects, such as HIV and AIDS. Moreover, it is a model international humanitarian project: it makes use of specialists and local staff, trained both in the DRC and in Europe. In 2016, ten years after its founding, it finished a modern maternity and neonatology unit, which are essential in a country with one of the highest infantile death rates in the world. Fortunately that unit was preserved from the collapse. The ward was completed thanks to the contribution of people and agencies connected to the Focolare Movement, such as the Giancarlo Pallavicini Foundation and the gentlemen Albina Gianotti and Vittorino Giussani, financers of the Medical Centre since the day it began, and by AMU Luxemburg and AECOM Congo, as well as other supporters.