Unfortunately, COOPI has seen many wars.
From Somalia to the massacres in Rwanda, the endless war in Congo, the Balkans, the Middle East: COOPI staff has experienced incredible moments alongside the most exposed populations.
Therefore, we even know those who fight in the various armies, or in irregular groups, and we know that in modern warfare the highest price is not paid by these fighters, but by the local population.
Wars are terrible just because they transform everyday gestures into something heroic: let's think about the many civilian victims who have paid with their lives while queueing to buy bread, or simply while working in the fields. But adults, no matter the nightmares they have gone through, are at least rounded people with a wealth of experience. A child experiences these situations in an even more tragic way, due to the fragility of being a child. This is why they are warriors and must be helped and supported.
A normal gesture like going to school can mean crossing minefields, being challenged by snipers, risking of being kidnapped by irregular groups that recruit child soldiers. Or suffer from the reprisals of those who think that Western education is a sin, contrary to a fanatic religious belief.
That is why you often hear us say "Help A Warrior." A child who studies in these conditions is a real warrior, a courageous fighter for its future.
For years COOPI has been supporting emergency education programs in countries affected by war such as in the Middle East and in many African countries. Education in emergencies does not only mean building schools and providing educational materials, it means giving full support to those who struggle heroically to do something which for our children is quite normal: go to school.
We are sure you will want to be on our side to help many small warriors to build a future of peace.
Claudio Ceravolo - President of the Foundation COOPI
