Silvia Romano, one year later: we do not forget you
A year has already passed since Silvia Romano was kidnapped in the village of Chakama where she served as a volunteer at the non-profit organization Africa Milele. Silvia was only 23 when she left for Africa, "To help them at home", but she never came back. To miss it, not only the parents at home, but an entire country, Italy. Unfortunately, to date, there is still no clarity and the political and social situation in Kenya contribute to making the investigations even more complex. However, the mayor of Milan, Beppe Sala, as well as the Italian intelligence assure that they have never forgotten Silvia and declare that they want to proceed with every attempt to bring the girl back to Italy.
The decision to leave to dedicate oneself to the last ones
Silvia Romano is a 23-year-old girl who, after graduating from a school for linguistic mediators for security and social defense with a paper on human trafficking, leaves for Kenya. The first time he sets foot on African soil is on 22 July 2018 and he stays there for a month. During this time spent in Africa he collaborated with the Onlus Orphan’s dreams, an orphanage located in Likoni, Kenya. After a short period in Italy, on 5 November 2018 Silvia lands again in Kenya, this time in Chakama, a village 80 km from Malindi. The girl leaves with another non-profit organization, the Africa Milele non-profit organization, dedicated to welcoming and educating children marginalized by society. On November 20, 2018, the Italian aid worker was kidnapped by a group of 5 armed men who, shortly before, had opened fire in the city market, wounding five people.
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Developments after the kidnapping
After the kidnapping, three men were arrested: Moses Luwali Chembe, Abdulla Gababa Wario Guyo and Ibrahim Adhan Omar. The latter, according to some sources, a poacher and ivory smuggler, was released on bail and returned to freedom on November 14, without appearing at the trial that saw him accused. Silvia would be in the southwestern area of Somalia, in the hands of the jihadist organization Al-Shaabab, against which the Somali authorities have an arrest warrant. The case is becoming more and more complex and delicate, so the Italian authorities are keen to keep the utmost confidentiality, to prevent false news and incorrect versions of its development from being disseminated. A few days ago the news came that the investigators were thinking of sending an international rogatory letter to the Somali authorities, of starting, that is, a judicial collaboration.
Nobody has forgotten you
"Despite the bitterness and the great difficulties of recent months, we have never stopped working, in silence, with the same commitment and consistency as always. We owe it to all our children, to the supporters, to the volunteers and above all we owe it to you, Silvia. With much hope, we continue to wait for you. "
These are the words that appear as soon as you access the website of the non-profit organization Africa Milele, which every day continues to dedicate itself to those who need it most without ever forgetting the kidnapped aid worker.
Nobody has forgotten you, Silvia. You who, so young and passionate, have left your family, your friends, all your privileges to dedicate yourself to the least and, with your story, you have inspired many other young people to put aside their fear and leave as you did. The hope we have today is that the day will come soon when ours "we are waiting for you" will be replaced by an echo of "welcome back".
