Nurturing hope

Salvatore Cimmino with Father Paul, the seminarians of the Mission of Caracciolini and the escort

Hope is at the service of the will, the will is the result of desire and desire is generated by the power of the spirit. I have learned that, in life, there are individuals who react more readily because in adversity they sense gratification. At the same time, they grasp the challenge and they envision the beauty of its karma. Hope requires faith. On April 10th, when I arrived at ‘Kigali airport and met the generous eyes of Father Norbert, I felt as if I had an enlightment: shortly afterwards, something wonderful would have happened. The next day, on my arrival in Goma, at the Great Barrier, the Rwandese-Congo border, there were many people waiting for me who, to my amazement, greeted me as you welcome a gift. This is why my commitment to them has become a reason to live. The first person who approached me was Frère Jean Mbeshi, Head of the Prosthetic Center “Shirika la Umoja,” who immediately informed me about an intense program of activities, including the press conference the following day, the road race on tricycles , a demo volleyball match, a debate on the public consciousness of the status of the disabled, my crossing from the island of Idjwi to Goma, and finally about the closing day event, which was hosted by Monsieur Vany Bishweka in his Ihusi hotel. Every day, every moment that I lived on this strip of land that is as wonderful as it is persecuted by misfortune, war, famine, poverty, disease and marginalization, has been characterized by the warmth and the affection that the entire population has shown me. As soon as I realized that my presence instilled hope, all the fears that haunted me – above all the one of methane gas, which sometimes kils as has happened last year with a missionary while he was swimming – all of a sudden just vanished. During my stay in Goma I was a guest of the Mission of the Padri Caracciolini, where everyone, starting with Father Norberto and Father Paul to all the seminarists, embraced me with love and support every single day, until the fateful time of my dangerous crossing of Lake Kivu. During this period, I remember with brotherly affection a young seminarian, named Archimedes, who supported me every morning and every afternoon during my preparation, and who, on the evening of Sunday, April 22, when I returned from my successful swim, approached me like a son, and almost in tears said: “congratulations Salvatore”. Another time I remember fondly was when I arrived on the island of Idjwi: the entire village was waiting for me on the dock, including a music band and even a traditional dancing group, how exciting! Together with them the entire community of people with disabilities living on the island attended the event, including their President, Monsieur Joseph Mwendambiyo, who thanked me for starting the construction of the “bridge” from his village. From the crowd emerged Father Janvier, the promoter of the host committee on the Island, whose baritone voice gave life to the party! Soon afterwards I was even covered with floral tributes. The next morning, the day of the crossing, we woke up under a heavy storm which prevented us from following the agreed schedule. With great difficulty we embarked in the pouring rain to reach Kihumba, the place of departure. We had to cover ourselves with a large sheet to protect us from rain. It was nearly 6 o’clock when we arrived: the time to get ready, the usual recommendations, and at 6.18 I left. For the first kilometers I had to swim in the rain, but in a lake as calm as a table. When we left the bay, however, the water became so rough that the support boat had a very hard time staying on track, and boy, how much I drank! Then, miraculously, the lake gradually calmed down as if it were a confortable bed. In addition to the support boat, I was escorted by many canoes and speedboats and even by a ship with 1500 people on board, who did an amazing job cheering until my last stroke. I arrived in Goma without difficulty at 5 PM, and a huge crowd was waiting for me: since I have started my swimming tour around the world, I had never seen so many people joining up in one place, and I had never felt such love for a country other than mine: for the Democratic Republic of Congo! The reality of people with disabilities in Congo is very precarious: they are not supported by laws, they are constantly discriminated against and marginalized, their mobility is reduced to nothing: many people have to literally crawl because they lack even a rudimentary crutch.Girls are raped and humiliated all the time, often just because they are disabled. Regardless of this cruel reality, I want to keep my optimism: I will fight with all my means, even if minimal compared to the magnitude of the problem, so that my Congolese brothers with disabilities will be able to assert their rights. I will fight so that the city of Goma and the Island of Idjwi may be equipped with a rehabilitation center where children, teenagers, men and women are able to regain their dignity!

 I want to thank all the people who gave their contribution to the success of this memorable and historic event, starting from the Diocese and its foundations: His Excellency Rev. Bishop Teophile Kaboy Ruboneka, Governor Julien Paluku Kahongya, the Vicar General Father Luiz Nzabaneta, Father René Stockman, Father Jean Mbeshi, Father Raffaele Mandolesi, Father Paolo Di Nardo, Father Norberto, Monsieur Vany Bishweka, Monsieur Bandu, Jean together with the Navy, and finally reporters Roberto and Magloire Paluku who, with their caring and accurate journalistic work, have triggered so much interest among a population stricken by war and poverty.

Thanks to Circolo Canottieri Aniene, to Selex Galileo, to INAIL, to Roadrunnerfoot, and to Acqua Sphere.

Thanks to all of you, without your support I could never reach Goma.

With Affection Salvatore Cimmino