Some emotions are so intense that they can generate more and more new ones. Thirty years ago Missione Calcutta was born: since then, the organisation’s volunteers have reached seven countries in the world with projects dedicated to education, health and food security, and over 9,000 children have also been helped thanks to remote support activities.
To celebrate three decades of work, Missione Calcutta organised the event ‘30 Years in the World’, held on Saturday the 7th of October, at Spazio Polaresco, in Bergamo.

It was a big party with the representatives from Kenya, India and Ukraine and an important announcement was made regarding the organisation’s future: ‘We couldn’t do without celebrating this significant year together with the whole community,’ commented Hélène Ehret, founder of Missione Calcutta. ‘To talk about the daily life of Missione Calcutta, we invited those people who operate around the world to Bergamo. Their words showed that in thirty years we have come far beyond what was expected. Now new goals and opportunities await us: by the end of the year, Missione Calcutta will become a Foundation’.
‘The relationship between Bergamo and Missione Calcutta has strengthened: the people of Missione Calcutta have transferred their skills, acquired during the long journey in the service of others, to our fellow citizens – including young students – and to the local volunteers. The goal now is to ensure that Missione Calcutta’s headquarters in Bergamo become a point of reference for the community,” explained Marcella Messina, Assessor for Social Policies of the Municipality of Bergamo.

After the institutional greetings, a round table open to all took place, a space for storytelling and discussion in which the voices of the organisation’s took turns in sharing the experiences. In addition to the speech of Hélène Ehret, the meeting was enriched by the words of Rakhi Banerjee, in charge of India, Dennis Mwenda, in charge of Kenya, Vira Bila, in charge of Ukraine, Father Ivan Stefurak, director of the Information Department of the Archdiocese of Ivano-Frankivsk and Brother Anthony Tusher Rodrick, Director of Seva Kendra Calcutta. Their stories were proof of how far the work of Missione Calcutta has come: from a dream to real support for children, women and families.

The buffet dinner was followed by a photo exhibition and a charity auction, in which 500 euros was raised to fund ongoing projects. An evening that marks a new beginning towards other destinations and goals. The guiding star is always the same: ensuring equal opportunities of growth, health, and education for boys and girls.