Frequently asked questions

The Project first came about through a deep friendship with Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves, who I met in 1975 in Rome, where I was Secretary to the Papal Council for Laymen. Around ten years ago, having become Archbishop of Salvador-Bahia, he told me that amongst his greatest worries as Minister was the serious problem of children living on the street: an enormous number, who were forced to live in inhumane misery. I began to think that something had to be done to help these poor souls. That was how the idea for the twinning between Florence and Salvador-Bahia was born, initialed "in the name of the children" by the mayors of the two cities. The visit of Pope John Paul II to Brazil in 1991 caused allowed the public to face the dramatic problem of abandonment among children in that country. From Salvador-Bahia, the Father Saint had launched a truly heartfelt appeal: "All children are important, all of them. There cannot be nor must be abandoned children. Nor children without families. Nor children on the streets. There cannot be nor must be children victims of assassination, elimated with the pretext of preventing crime, destined to death." From here the Agata Smeralda project was born.

Some people think this is a Brazilian name, but that is not the case. The name expresses the roots of the initiative, roots of our land and of our culture, roots of reception and of love towards life. I remember very well the first time I heard about Agata Smeralda. I was maybe six years old. My grandmother Emilia was an old lady who had grown up in the countryside of Vicchio in the Mugello and a woman of faith, and would often tell her four grandchildren beautiful tales rich in moral content, which always managed to grab the attention of us kids. According to the story, little Agata Smeralda was born from an affair between a young and evil Florentine nobleman and the good, beautiful girl who was in love with him, but who had the misfortune of belonging to a very poor family who lived in one of the farms owned by the young man himself, situated on the outskirts of Florence. The pregnancy was kept hidden from the families, and the nobleman threatened the girl not only to keep quiet, but also forced her to abandon the child as soon as it was born. I remember that for us children, the most dramatic moment in the story was always the same: when, one cold February night, that poor mother, wrapped up in a black cape, abandoned her newborn amidst her own tears on the “ruota” of the Spedale degli Innocenti in Florence. It was only as an adult studying Brunelleschi, distinguished architect of that hospital, that I realized that the event, narrated with much love by my grandmother, was in reality not exactly as she had had us believe. In fact, historical documents tell us only that the name Agata Smeralda was indeed given to that first child welcomed into the Spedale degli Innocenti in Florence on 5th February 1445. And in the name of reception, in defence of abandoned children, five-hundred years later, here is the Agata Smeralda Project, at the service of the poorest. 

The words of the Project "manifesto" seem to answer accurately this question: "... children must live and grow free in their own land in order to be protagonists of life in their own country tomorrow." This phrase can be translated as a daily guarantee to thousands of children – who would otherwise live in inhumane conditions – a healthy diet, the chance for a school education, a proper health service and an accompaniment for a global development. All of this is realized thanks to the presence of missionaries (both religious and lay), from Italy and various other countries around the world, who each day take care of children in 60 welcome centres. We have also realized three family homes for young girls "taken from the streets", a health centre at the "Centro do Menor", in the Mata Escura favela, and places for professional training for the oldest kids. Agata Smeralda is in fact today a capillary presence in the favelas of Salvador and Bahia which operates in the name of dignity of humankind.

All initiatives born out of wanting to help the poor deserve respect and support. On our part we do not just provide a photo and information about the child, but we concern ourselves more with making sure that those who sponsor a child also open their hearts to the world, remembering the many other children in Salvador and other parts of the world who suffer in miserable conditions of life. The relationship that is established wishes not only to change the life of those who receive, but also of those who give, with the knowledge that what is given (31 euro a month) is much less than what is received. Our Project is also characterized by the close collaboration with the diocese, the juvenile court, with the juvenile pastoral and with the University of Salvador-Bahia. We intend to strongly insert ourselves into the Brazilian reality. For example, students of Educational Science carry out a period of apprenticeship at the welcome centres, because we consider it fundamental that assistance arrives not only from abroad, but also that young Brazilians actively work to help children from the street. Only in this way can we really effectively make a change. 

It hasn't always been easy to make people understand that this wasn't a case of "charity", in other words a way of putting the soul at peace when faced with enormous problems. The Agata Smeralda Project wishes instead to be a way to live with greater consistency the Gospel of Christ, who in these children he wished to identify himself. My greatest satisfaction has been knowing that with the help of the providence of God thousands of children have been taken off the streets, or taken away from dramatic situations, and can now look to the future with hope. Each time I return to Salvador their smile repays all our hard work and is really the greatest satisfaction of all.

"Come and see" is my invitation every year to those who wish to see with their own eyes the concrete and tireless work being carried out. We wish to show that with the help of Italian sponsors drops of real hope are added into that ocean of misery. This is how, having seen for themselves, even the most sceptical people cannot help but roll up their sleeves and start working with us. This is our strength.