Fitzum now speaks Italian perfectly, but he has retained his usual kindness that always catches you by surprise.
Immediately enterprising, he started looking for work, and after knocking from door to door who knows how many times,
he finally found a job as a handyman in a hotel in Bastia Umbra.
However, he moved from this property for the summer months to a hotel in Naples, and soon found himself
unemployed again due to Covid closures.
Without losing heart, he returned to Assisi, where he then found a new job in a hotel in the area, where he is still on trial, but he hopes to be confirmed.
In fact, soon, like Nebiat, he would like to be able to afford the rent of an apartment
and thus become totally autonomous.
In his face, however, I could not help but grasp a veil of sadness, almost anguish.
And, in fact, he confides in me that not a moment goes by that he is not thinking of Ethiopia where his sister,
who arrived from Eritrea, currently is.
"She's in Addis Ababa, but she has to be careful, as they are persecuting all who speak Tigrinya",
he tells me in a worried tone, "plus I'm afraid of losing my Italian because when I get home
I only read and listen to news from Ethiopia. My mind is always there. "
I understand. It is terrible not being able to have loved ones close to you, knowing that they live in such difficult and dangerous situations.
I also wanted to meet up with Abresh again, but he did not accept my invitation, which I expected, from the most independent and determined man I have ever met. He is blind due to a mine exploding only a stone's throw from him when he was 5 years old. An orphan who escaped from Eritrea to Sudan, finally arrived in Ethiopia in the May Aini camp, from which, thanks to the Humanitarian corridors, was able to reach Italy.
His life is a constant challenge.
In our visit in 2019, during the interview, he wanted to underline the risk that the reception could become 'suffocating' in not allowing for the freedom and independence of the beneficiaries.
Now Abresh has signed a lease and lives independently.
He is completing a degree course in computer science at the University for Foreigners of Perugia, and has recently launched his own blog.
I still remember when in Fiumicino in 2018, as I was going down the airplane stairs with him, he said to me
"Ilaria, how do you say in Italian 'my dreams became true'? ''
However, I managed to meet up with Tiziana. Her husband, Pasquino, was also supposed to be there, but it got late and he had to "run" to distribute surplus food to the most needy.
The two of them have been part of Fitzum’s and Abresh’s integration process for years.
Tiziana tells me how relations with them have been more sporadic since the outbreak of the pandemic, and that above all Abresh over time has wanted to be more and more independent.
But when he needs it, he remembers who to call!
Pasquino, in fact, was fundamental when it came to moving into his new apartment.
On the other hand, Tiziana and Pasquino hear from Fitzum more often, although not as much as during the first days of his arrival in Italy.
And you can see that Tiziana is upset about it. But life goes on. Before saying goodbye she shows me her personal project linked to "Beauty": some painted icons. Really gorgeous. Then she gives me some red gold ... the precious saffron that Pasquino and Tiziana collect every morning.
They are truly beautiful flowers. And as I leave, I am grateful for this gift, but above all for their friendship.
