I met AGAPE in mid-2000. I attended a mass in the parish of San Maurizio Martire just outside Rome, and there a group of volunteers presented the association, they told what AGAPE means in the world and the way they worked to change the society we live in. At the end of the mass, we were invited to learn about all the missions, including past ones, that the association was carrying out. I was interested especially because one of the missions was the “family house” in Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, managed together with the order of the Scalabrinian Sisters, of which I am also a member. I approached and introduced myself, telling them that I also knew that mission well and I was introduced to Mr. Mario, who was one of the founders of that project. I remember as if it were yesterday that Mr. Mario was very moved (with tears in his eyes of joy) to know that that project was still standing and continuing its good work.

I finished my studies in Italy and returned to Brazil. From that moment on, the Scalabrinian Sisters who lived in Rome began to speak more and more often with AGAPE, through visits, dialogues and finally reaching a collaboration agreement for the mission that my order was carrying out in Ressano Garcia, in Mozambique. When the agreements were made, the children and the sisters, who were on a mission at the orphanage of the Scalabrini Center began to count on generous support from the association. At the end of 2004, the first group of AGAPE volunteers left for Mozambique.

Being a missionary in Africa has always been my great desire, and at the beginning of 2005 the great dream of my life came true: I reached that very mission on the border with South Africa and my collaboration with AGAPE also began.

Once there, the children of the orphanage and I shared beautiful moments together with Gloria and Alberto, the two first “Mozambican” volunteers of the association: the opening of a well from which we could drink clean water, the many gifts and affectionate gestures are memories that will remain forever in our hearts. For many years I have been there, I have always been able to count on the great support of the association to develop our activities with the children of the orphanage and the neighboring communities. AGAPE has always paid a lot of attention to caring for children, but it has not stopped there: we have carried out various protection and sustainability projects together in Ressano Garcia and in the neighboring communities, such as a sewing course for the women of the city, a craft course for children and young people, whose products were sold in Italy to raise funds for the mission, or even a microcredit project to help young people find employment. We have activated a course for the training of a group of young people in carpentry, raising awareness of the use of recycled materials in order to preserve the environment.

One of the most important projects were the theater workshops with the young people of the community, in which the works brought to the stage reflected the major social issues that the community faces daily, raising awareness in the spectators of difficult topics, such as corruption, human trafficking and illegal immigration. The last project I took part in before my return to Brazil was the solidarity ice cream shop that opened in 2019, which will help both children who will be able to eat healthy and nutritious food and young people who, in the workshop, will be able to learn a new trade.

I sincerely thank AGAPE for the support and understanding it has always shown in developing activities with the children and families of the communities who have been accompanied by the Scalabrinian Sisters.

Sister Lisete