The suitcase has always been the universal symbol of those who leave their homeland. Whether made of cardboard and tied together with string, or a modern trolley, its contents are often the same: a few clothes, some photographs, and an infinity of hopes, dreams, and courage. We Italians know the weight of those suitcases well, because for decades they were ours.

It is precisely from this awareness that the beautiful initiative of the preschool children at the Luigi Chiariglione Nursery School in Ciriè (Turin) was born, participating in the "Mondo in valigia" (World in a Suitcase) contest. Their project is not only a wonderful example of education and empathy but also an extraordinary bridge between our emigrant past and the present of those seeking refuge in our country.

A Common Thread Between the Italy of Yesterday and the World of Today

The journey of these 5-year-old students began through the pages and images of the book The Journey by Francesca Sanna. The children understood a profound truth: in every era and in every corner of the world, there are women and mothers who leave their roots behind to escape wars, persecution, and poverty.

But the most touching part of the project was when the teachers explained to the children that this is not just a "story of today," but it is our story. It happened in Italy too, when countless Italian mothers packed their bags to emigrate to nations like Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, or the distant Americas. They were driven by the exact same motive that drives mothers today: the hope of offering a better future to their children. Remembering this aspect is fundamental, and it is the beating heart of the Italea project: rediscovering our roots to understand who we were, and using that memory to look at the world with new eyes.

The Encounter That Transforms Knowledge into Empathy

After expressing their emotions through drawing, the children moved from theory to a real-life encounter. They interviewed some mothers from their school who came from other countries, listening particularly to the testimony of a mother who fled the war in Ukraine and a mother originally from Nigeria, who left her village to guarantee a peaceful tomorrow for her child.

What made the experience even more special was that the interview questions were thought up and formulated directly by the children themselves. With the spontaneity and sensitivity that only the youngest possess, they demonstrated extraordinary listening skills and empathy, bridging any cultural distance.

Mothers: Courageous Travelers

The message emerging from the Ciriè school workshop is powerful and crystal clear: mothers are courageous travelers. Today, as in the past, they face immense sacrifices, leaving behind everything they know and love to build solid foundations for future generations.

As a portal dedicated to Italian roots, we celebrate this project because it reminds us that the history of Italian emigration is not a closed chapter to be studied in books, but a lens through which to read humanity. The suitcases of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, setting off into the unknown, contained the same determination as those of the young mothers arriving in our schools today.

Thanks to the children of Ciriè, we have learned that the best way to honor our migrant past is to welcome the stories of those who, today, are making our very same journey.