Mayadine is 18 years old and comes from Sudan. He arrived in Turin, Italy, on October 12, 2022 through Pagella in Tasca which is one of the programmes participating in the COMET network of legal pathways facilitating a new start for people in need of international protection. Promoted by Intersos and UNHCR, it brings unaccompanied minors to Italy to complete their primary and secondary studies.
Mahyadine was welcomed into the household of Wanda (see the interview here), her husband, their two older daughters and a peer. He started by attending school to prepare for and pass the middle school exam. Having obtained his middle school certificate, he continued with a vocational training program at the technical school San Carlo, where he is studying carpentry. Mayadine is completing his first year and has two more to go before he can choose a specialization, which will allow him to earn a diploma by the end of his fourth year.
Starting life in Italy was challenging for him, especially because of the language barrier, as he didn’t have a newtwork and he didn’t speak Italian. However, he gradually began to make friends and feel at home. He now enjoys Italian food, with pasta being his favorite dish.
Back in Sudan, he left behind his parents, two younger sisters, and a younger brother, whom he misses and sometimes manages to speak with despite the difficult situation there.
