Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Sermig Arsenale della Pace

Sermig - Arsenale della Pace at Balon
The young missionary service (often referred to by the abbreviation SERMIG, from "Young Missionary Service") is a group founded in Turin on the May 24, 1964 by Ernesto Olivero together with a group of young people with a desire to eradicate hunger in the world through works of justice, promote the development, experiencing solidarity with the poor. Initially born as a missionary group with the intent to cooperate with various missionaries around the world, then the SERMIG began to care about the poverty present in Turin, while extending its work to other places around the world.


However, the last time I brought a female friend there to give away her used clothing, something happened which  makes me question the attitude of some of the helpers towards foreigners.

While I was with the friend standing in front of the containers which collect donated items, we were wondering why there was a bag of old bottle plastic corks in there. Suddenly a woman came right up to us and asked if she could help us anything. Before I could answer, she grabbed me on my shoulder and shouted : 'No, you can't do this, you have to come with me to the center!' She begun to drag me away, then I realized that she thought that I was there to steal.
I stopped her and said :' We are here to give, not trying to take!'
She startled for a moment, and I said to her :'You think all foreigners are poor, all are thieves?'
She quickly apologized, not actually to me, she apologized to my friend who is an European, asking my friend if I was with her.
It seem to be a bit petty to mind, but the instant instinct reaction reflects what a person actually think, to me, deep in her mind and heart, I think she does 'discriminate foreigners (especially those happened to be around Porta Palazzo )' with a concept that they are all poor and tend to steal.
That makes me wonder why she bothers to care for the job? To make her feel superior?