Bernadetta is the oldest girl of seven children, from one to nineteen years old. Since the beginning of the lockdown, back in March, her routine has changed dramatically. Instead of going to school early, she looks after her younger siblings and takes care of household chores in the morning. In the afternoon, she calls school friends to check on them and also to ask questions about school lessons she didn’t understand. With children running and screaming all day, Bernadetta is forced to study in the evenings, at least three times a week.
“Until I joined Luigi Giussani High School, I never thought I would be able to study. I was born in a low-income family, and my father always told me that when I grew up, I would take care of our farm,” says Bernadetta, whose school fees are paid through AVSI Distant Support Program. “I want to finish school, and become a nurse to interact with people, learn from them, and take care of them.”
For now, her biggest dream is to be able to go back to school. She is confident that day will come soon:
“Everything that has a beginning has an end. This will end,” says Bernadetta, whose uniform is ready in closet. “The night before the first day back at school, I won’t sleep.”