We at Salute e Sviluppo were born in the wake of the teachings of St. Camillus de Lellis who, by caring for the sick, gave us a very specific focus for our mission. Operating in developing countries, moreover, we have found in the Camillians, present in more than 40 countries around the world, valuable partners to make our activities in line with the needs of the place and rooted in the territory.

The Lay Camillian Family was born from the desire of all those who are close to the Camillians and have the desire to help the sick and infirm, even if they do not join the Order. From the first to the seventh of May, the work of the International General Assembly took place, with the theme of caring for the most fragile and sharing the experiences of the various members, all from very different countries and committed to the front line in helping and supporting the sick.

We at Salute e Sviluppo have many ongoing projects in the Central African Republic, an extremely poor country with severe health deficiencies. The Camillians, ever since they have been present in the country, have tried to remedy the disastrous situation: the construction of the John Paul II Hospital is tangible proof of how their commitment has borne great fruit and has really given the local population the chance to rely on a solid support organisation. This medical centre is well run, with state-of-the-art equipment and specialised staff, and is the only one that covers a large area.

P. Romeo is both pastor of the Bossemptélé parish and Camillian chaplain of the hospital and deals daily with the sick, their fear and pain. It would have been very important for Fr. Romeo being able to interface with others who – like him – have caring for the weakest as their focus in life. We at Salute e Sviluppo decided to support the travel expenses of Fr. Romeo from Bossemptélé to Rome, to attend the fourth assembly of the Lay Camillian Family.

During this week, all participants were able to exchange opinions and experiences and learn a lot from confrontation: being able to interface with others who have their own life experience in contexts so different from one’s own inevitably leads to personal enrichment, which Fr. Romeo strongly warned.

As chaplain of a hospital such as Bossemptélé, there are many scenes of pain that he has to witness: lack of money or the impossibility of a long journey, or even culture itself, stop many from going immediately to the hospital for treatment and, arriving there when it is already late, the suffering is amplified. Thanks to this comparison Fr. Romeo had the opportunity, also through the experiences of others, to be even more motivated in his mission and to appreciate even more all the members of the Lay Camillian Family who work as volunteers at his side, who – although they have no medical knowledge – have the desire to be close to the sick and their needs.

We at Salute e Sviluppo are very happy to have had the opportunity to facilitate this exchange of experiences, which will benefit those who ask for support from the Camillian Hospital and Fr. Romeo. For us, sharing is fundamental and is the basis for the personal enrichment we all need.