edited by Massimo Gabbani –
“A family is like a forest, when you are outside it is dense, but when you are inside, you can clearly see that every tree has its place.” This ancient African proverb has a profound meaning that reflects the beauty and strength of family relationships.
“Like a Family” is a documentary that immerses itself in the intimate story of the evolution of Shalom Home, an orphanage that has become much more than just a structure, it has become a family. This narrative covers a period of three years, a period of time that marked the return of director Massimo Gabbani to the heart of the orphanage. This is his second visit after capturing the life of the facility in a previous documentary. Our story takes place in the picturesque county of Meru, Kenya, and will reveal the extraordinary journey that Shalom Home has undertaken in these three years. It will show how this extended family has grown and transformed since the director first turned his camera on it. But it is not just a story of change: it is a story of hope, of solidarity, of synergy between two worlds, Italy and Kenya, symbolized by the profound collaboration between the Melamango ODV association and Father Francis Gaciata. It is a story that embraces souls and hearts, a story of love and growth, which demonstrates how Shalom Home truly is like one big family.
Three years have passed since I last visited Shalom Home, and during this time, many challenges have befallen not only this facility, but the world as a whole. However, what has emerged is a testimony of extraordinary resilience: the boys and girls of Shalom Home, under the loving guidance of Father Francis, have come together as a family. In this process, they emerged even stronger and more cohesive than we could have imagined.
For each of us, the family represents a crucial context. Inside it are our values, our roots, and it plays a fundamental role in shaping the growth of each individual. Family ties are often the most solid and long-lasting, the ones that will accompany us throughout our lives.
But what makes Shalom Home truly extraordinary is the creation of a vast family that welcomes more than 500 children. Here, the concept of family goes beyond blood, transforming into a bond that unites hearts and souls. The Shalom Home community is a shining example of how love, care and dedication can transform many lives into a dense forest of deep connections, where everyone finds their place and meaning.
In a world marked by unbridgeable challenges, two extraordinary heroes stand out: Father Francis Gaciata and the Melamango association, whose actions have had a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals.
Father Francis, a man with deep roots in the Kenyan community, demonstrated an enlightening vision, understanding of the surrounding dynamics and a fatherly love that inspired and guided all guests of Shalom Home. His loving and understanding presence is balanced by a firmness that he uses when needed. His mission is very clear: to instill fundamental values in his kids not only with words, but above all with concrete example. Every activity inside and outside of Shalom Home has Father Francis at the forefront, a beacon of inspiration for the young people entrusted to him.
All this was made possible thanks to the tireless support of the Trentino association Melamango. This synergistic collaboration between Father Francis and Melamango has transformed Shalom Home from a simple orphanage into a beacon of hope for the entire county of Meru, with a positive impact also evident on the community of Mitunguu, the adjacent town.
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast dark shadows over the region, not only on a health level, but also on an economic level. The economic difficulties have become almost unsustainable, with a drastic increase in food costs which have hit the structure hard. The drought has accentuated the poverty of local families, leading to a constant increase in the number of children knocking on Shalom Home’s doors every day seeking help.
Father Francis took me on a journey to show me the desperate conditions of the surrounding places. I have seen with my own eyes the economic and social difficulties that afflict many people, especially women and children. The Mitunguu quarries are the sad symbol of these challenges, places where men and women work in extremely dangerous conditions and are economically exploited. No security measures are in place to guarantee their safety. Every year, many lives are tragically cut short due to cave collapses or accidents caused by situations of desperation, often aggravated by the use of alcohol or drugs, substances used as the only refuge to endure such adverse circumstances.
Many of the children welcomed by Shalom Home come from this environment, they are children who have been orphaned or separated from their families due to the latter’s inability to take care of them. They are children who have experienced the tragic challenges of life in a difficult context.
In Malcet, a hamlet of Mitunguu, lies a dark world, where the stories of many women intertwine in a context of poverty and desperation. These women are abandoned, left alone to raise their children, often even estranged from their families. They are victims of social injustice and exploited by society, sometimes driven to the point of making extreme gestures such as taking the lives of their children and then committing suicide.
In the midst of this desperation, Elsy grew up, a courageous young woman. Today she is an adult, mother of a child and HIV-positive. Her childhood was marked by exploitation of her, forcing her into prostitution since she was just 9 years old. When her mother stopped seeing her as a source of income, she kicked her out of the house along with her son. They found themselves sleeping in a public bathroom, struggling to survive.
Hope for Elsy and her son began to shine when they crossed paths with their generous father Francis.
The boys who live on the streets in Gakaromone, in the Mitunguu slum, are the children of these women, they are orphans or come from disadvantaged families. Without points of reference, without access to education, their existence is a daily struggle. Many of them seek refuge in inhaling glue, a desperate act that causes irreversible damage to their young brains. These kids represent the harsh reality of the economic crisis, but thanks to Shalom Home, their number has remained limited, avoiding even more dramatic consequences.
Education is one of the main victims of this difficult economic situation. The school in Mbindi, near Mitunguu, is ghostly empty, as families, devastated by the crisis, can no longer afford school fees. This will deny many young people the right to education, with serious repercussions on the future of the entire area. Father Francis knows well that education is the key to transforming not only individual lives but also the surrounding society.
Another plague that afflicts this community is the increase in its elderly, often left alone by their children who have emigrated in search of work in remote places. These elderly people find themselves in dilapidated houses and often can no longer look after themselves. They are destined to die alone.
The youth of Shalom Home play a crucial role in helping these elders. They find them, assist them with food and household tasks, but above all, offer them company, restoring a sense of vitality. In the past, the Melamango association supported a project that allowed the construction of homes for these elderly people, guaranteeing them a dignified life.
These stories remind us how important the work done by Shalom Home and similar associations is. Their commitment is a light of hope in a world marked by desperation, a beacon of solidarity that illuminates the lives of those in need, offering a possibility of rebirth.
During this time, within Shalom, I had the privilege of meeting Priscilla, an elderly woman who was welcomed into the facility when she could no longer look after herself. Priscilla has become everyone’s grandmother, an incredibly significant figure in the large family of Shalom Home. Her absence, which occurred last June, left an immense void within Shalom.
Over the last three years, an act of incredible generosity and love has been carried out in memory of Davide Chini, a young boy from Trentino who was taken from life prematurely due to a tragic accident at work. Davide’s family and friends have chosen to honor his memory through an extraordinary initiative: the construction of a farm dedicated to him. This farm, today, has become much more than a place of production; it has become a bastion of livelihood for the orphanage and a source of employment for needy local families. This is a testament to how the love and memory of a young boy found a way to bring hope and prosperity to other lives.
But generosity and memory don’t stop there. Massimo Piazzi, a volunteer from the Melamango association, was also prematurely taken away from us. His family wanted to honor his dedication and altruistic spirit by creating a playground and a house for the nuns inside Shalom Home. These places are not only tangible monuments to his memory, but have become points of reference and refuge for all those who cross the threshold of Shalom. The memory of Davide Chini and Massimo Piazzi, as invisible guardians, inspires and accompanies all those who seek comfort and hope within this house.
To ensure that these initiatives continue to make their precious contribution, the project of building a new well has become imperative. Its realization is not only a practical necessity, but a testament to how Shalom Home is working wholeheartedly to ensure a sustainable future for the farm and the orphanage. This becomes even more crucial considering the prolonged period of drought that is plaguing the area, putting water resources to the test. Together, we can bring this new hope to life and continue to cultivate an environment that makes a difference in the lives of many people.
Our documentary, in just over half an hour, paints a portrait of life: a reality very distant from ours, imbued with dramatic nuances but permeated by signs of hope and change. We do not intend to burden the viewer, but we wish to show you a fragment of existence, a different world, a world in which the importance of development cooperation emerges vividly.
Father Francis, the beating heart of Shalom Home, has always believed in the possibility of giving everyone the opportunity to embrace a better future. This is the most precious treasure of Shalom Home: the promise of a future, of a brighter and more meaningful life. And all this was made possible thanks to the unwavering support of Melamango, which in turn can count on a network of extraordinary supporters. These supporters are not just donors, but members of a large family, an extended family that works together to transform lives and give hope.
To date, more than a thousand boys and girls have earned the opportunity to build a better future. This is an extraordinary achievement, but we know that there is still a long way to go. As an ancient African proverb goes, “If you want to come first, run alone; if you want to get far, walk together.” This is the philosophy that guides Shalom Home and the extraordinary people who work there. Cooperation, union, teamwork are the keys to a better future, and together we can travel this path towards hope and change.
