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On Saturday, March 19, President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella met a delegation of about 50 people from the Community of Sant'Egidio at the Italian Embassy during his official visit to Cameroon. The delegation consisted of representatives of the Community from different cities -Yaounde, Maroua, Douala, Dschang- children from the School of Peace, elders, and representatives of the DREAM Program. During the meeting, there were some testimonies about the life of the Community in Cameroon: about the School of Peace, the fight against AIDS thanks to the DREAM Program, which is present in Yaounde and Dschang, and the Community's participation in the initiatives about interfaith dialogue in the country.
Special attention was paid to the issue of the elderly, who are losing their role and are increasingly marginalized, poor, and sometimes considered wizards due to the transformation of society. In Cameroon as well as around the world, the Community promotes solidarity between generations and rediscovers the value of friendship between young and old. Starting from the dramatic situation of the war against Boko Haram, which is affecting the North of the country, representatives of Sant'Egidio told to Mattarella how many street children are imprisoned because they are considered affiliated with Boko Haram. The Community has been able to free some of them by proving their foreignness and prevent the arrest of others by registering them in the civil registry.
The President listened attentively and addressed a few words at the end of the meeting. Expressing sincere appreciation for the Community's activities in Cameroon, he said, " This is the spirit of Sant'Egidio in every part of the world; you intervene where support is needed, especially when it is in favor of the weak. Your work has only two rewards: one is the results like the examples you have given (of babies that are born healthy), and the other one is the relationship with those who suffer and feel helped and welcomed. These are not financial prizes but they are worth much more. It was very important to listen. Thank you for the help you give and the example that this causes. Cameroon and Italy are two friendly countries, but your presence is a collaboration between people and not between states."
