On the river banks

When you are new in a foreign land, it is hard to find a way to express yourself. One is not only a foreigner as in new in a new place but also because the lack of linguistical fluidity that allows to be fully understood from a social and cultural point of view. This pushes us to feel marginal and not fully part of society, we tend to be scared and insecure.

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Migrating also means being overwhelmed by differences. New and shocking things. In order to integrate it is important to be able to communicate. Il Magazzino sul Po, since 2011, plays a fundamental role for foreign children who attend the Italian school, offered by the facility; and I decided to photograph the children of the year 2017/2018 taking their portraits like a school year book. Through this project entitled “On the River Bank ” we get in touch emotionally and we can relate to the experience that these kids live. 

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More than 100 teenagers sat among the banks along the city river. Supervised by volunteers and interns from the University of Turin. The Warehouse on the Po class is a relatively small class. There are about 13 students taking the Italian class. Their origins are varied from North Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Europe to Asia. The children come from various host communities in Turin such as: Cooperativa sociale Progetto Tenda, Fondazione Difesa Fanciullo, Ufficio Minori Stranieri, Cooperativa sociale Chronos, Cooperativa Gruppo Arco. For two months, during our weekly meetings, we played group and role-playing games so that everyone felt free to express their personalities. Feeling part of a school is the first step in experiencing a normal daily life again; breaking away from the fringes of society and slowly feeling part of the new community.