She returned to Macomer a few days ago, after spending three and a half months in Sierra Leone with the Xaverian Fathers. She left in February, shortly before the award ceremony for the prestigious "Nino Carrus" prize. Her time in Africa was a significant experience of human and spiritual growth, with an encounter with diverse realities and cultures.
Alessia Mureddu, a missionary, tells her story: "It was a beautiful experience, which I lived intensely, despite the cultural differences and despite being far from my parents, my sister, my relatives, and my friends."
"As soon as I arrived in Kabala, a guest of the Xaverian community," Alessia explains, "I immediately immersed myself in a world where I could see that people—children, girls, and boys like me—don't have the same opportunities we take for granted. They have a different lifestyle than ours. My job was to teach art in an elementary school, even though the school system is completely different from the European one. So I also did other things. I often played with the neighborhood children, laughing and joking, and we quickly formed a bond of brotherly friendship."
Alessia lived in the Xaverian Fathers' house. "I had another girl from Milan with me, Cristina, who taught English. We woke up at 6:30 in the morning and went to church. We had breakfast together, went to school, or took care of the house. At 12:30, lunch was prepared by a cook, but often by Cristina and I. In the afternoon, we played. Often, we did other things. For example, I sang in the choir, and we went out and often visited the nearby villages. Once, we even went to the seaside, but it was far away."
Alessia also left behind friends in that remote village in the African hinterland: "Emmanuel, Joshua, and many other young men. Friends I still talk to on the phone. Maybe one day I'll go back to meet them and see if anything has changed."