Lorenza and Simonetta: Volunteers in Ngaoundal, Cameroon
28 January – 20 February 2026
Hello everyone. I’m Lorenza and this year, somewhat unexpectedly, the opportunity has arisen to return to Ngaoundal in Cameroon. This is the village where I spent so much time and which has been ‘the substance of my days’, as a famous song goes. Simonetta had a fantastic experience in Chad this summer with the children, the girls and the nuns.
“Simo… I’m off to Cameroon. I’m not going to do anything special… I’m just going to meet the people… are you coming?”
“Yes… I want to talk to them, get to know them.”
“Right then… let’s go!!!!”
For me, it meant letting myself be enveloped once again by that dust I love, which isn’t just physical, but penetrates your soul. It’s Africa!!
THANK YOU for AFRICA – an Africa I would like to share and give to all of you!
AFRICA of the essence and the origin;
AFRICA of the dust;
AFRICA of the nothing and the everything;
AFRICA of the birth and the death;
AFRICA, the poor and the rich;
AFRICA of day and night;
AFRICA of timelessness;
AFRICA of HOPE,
of a great JUBILEE of HOPE that can be seen in their eyes!
HOPE for the young people – so many, far too many – who are searching for a future.
HOPE for the children who play and live,
HOPE for the mothers who, like mothers all over the world, welcome and give,
HOPE for the men,
HOPE for the elderly….
AFRICA, the true cradle of humanity,
AFRICA of sharing and AFRICA exploited,
AFRICA of black magic,
AFRICA of smiles and tears,
AFRICA in the nuns who live there,
AFRICA of embraces,
AFRICA of suffering,
AFRICA of heat and AFRICA seeking water,
AFRICA, simple yet incredibly complex,
AFRICA of LIFE..
….AFRICA!!!!
Lorenza Vallarino
My volunteering experience in Cameroon with the Sisters of Charity of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret has come to an end. These sisters, through their missions, work around the world for social, humanitarian, cultural and educational purposes.In Ngaundal, through the running of two clinics and a hospital, the dedication of the Sisters, with their specialisation in healthcare, enables the training of staff who work within these facilities where lives are saved every day. In Cameroon, there is no access to free healthcare, medicines or assistance. There, even the supply of drinking water is a precious commodity and the mission works to support the poorest sections of the population.Volunteering kindles hope through small acts of kindness towards the defenceless, because: “HE WHO DOES NOT LIVE TO SERVE IS NOT WORTHY OF LIFE.”
Volunteering is first and foremost a journey, but a life-changing one, through an experience that is first “lived” and then “reflected upon.” One frees oneself from the ignorant absolutism of one’s own self, of one’s own point of view: “TO KNOW AND RECOGNISE” the existence of different perspectives, yet equally dignified, by immersing oneself in a different culture. AFRICA: “A DIRT ROAD THAT BEGINS AT THE EDGES OF NOTHING.” where you realise that being white is not exactly the same as being innocent, and where “MY EVERYTHING” still stubbornly seeks a way ………………… to find a way. BECAUSE AS LONG AS POVERTY, INJUSTICE AND INEQUALITY PERSIST, NONE OF US CAN TRULY REST. THANK YOU to my Africa, to my Sisters and to life for this missionary experience that I will always carry in my heart!
Simonetta Marini