Italy and Africa: When Volunteering Becomes a Bridge Between Two Worlds
By Luca Zaninello, October 7, 2025
Drawing on international cooperation, the projects of the Fondazione Cumse ETS range from healthcare assistance to cultural promotion.
The story of the Fondazione Cumse ETS began 20 years ago in Northern Cameroon with a simple word, perhaps the most spontaneous one: “Cumse,” which means “thank you” in the Ghiziga language. This word was spoken by a woman who had just overcome a very difficult birth, addressing Roberto Stigliano, a medical surgeon already operating in Africa. That simple thank you encapsulated the gratitude, hope, and trust resulting from a life saved, igniting a flame that still illuminates the Foundation’s work today.
Established in 2000, many volunteers immediately gathered around this word of recognition, transforming the initiative into much more than a simple Non-Governmental Organization. It marked the beginning of a global community of people ready to lend a hand, sharing skills and heart, between African villages and Italian cities. While the Fondazione Cumse’s commitment has continued to grow in the African continent, parallel actions have developed in Italy, especially during emergencies, ensuring an effective response to emerging needs.
Promoting health through Ssustainable development
The initial focus on socio-sanitary cooperation has evolved into a complex body embracing multiple areas of intervention. The construction and management of hospitals remain the organization’s heartbeat, but the approach has expanded. As Stefano Chicoli, General Secretary and Head of Communication for Fondazione Cumse, explains, “we do not just intervene with medical care, but we build hope, training, and life opportunities”. Interventions now range from building wells to provide potable water and producing medicines, to distance support, and promoting African culture and art. Every action is a piece of a mosaic aimed at bringing dignity, future, and autonomy to the communities.
A particularly significant effort is the Arbre de Vie project, which focuses on developing the cultivation, traditional livestock farming, processing, and commercialization of agro-pastoral products. Central to this project, located in the village of Marza in the central region of Cameroon, is moringa, known as the “miraculous tree”. Moringa is rich in proteins, vitamins, and mineral salts, and is used to produce “Pappa Cumse,” a protein food formulated in collaboration with the Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, aimed at malnourished children at the pediatric hospital of Moutourwa. Roberto Stigliano emphasizes that “Every spoonful of Pappa Cumse carries with it the work, studies, love, and care of doctors, women, and volunteers,” not just to save lives but to build faith in humanity and the future.
Chicoli highlights a compelling fact: “the moringa grows where there is the highest concentration of malnutrition”. This is viewed as an extraordinary opportunity to create a sustainable business model that goes beyond simple charity. The ultimate goal is to create an integrated system where local women can become protagonists of a circular economy, producing a high-quality product that can also be marketed in Europe.
Action in Italy to address new poverty
The Foundation’s readiness to act in the face of critical situations is one of its distinctive traits, making it natural for volunteers to be on the front lines for emergencies in Italy. Through a flexible and efficient organizational structure, interventions are stories of closeness and compassion. The Foundation either intervenes directly or activates fundraising efforts, such as for the Emilia flood or to provide four electrocardiographs to the Bassini hospital.
The year 2020 marked a turning point with the launch of the SaNP – Support for New Poverty project, driven by the realization that the pandemic had severely worsened the social situation in Italy. Istat data confirmed this surge in need, showing the incidence of absolute poverty rising from 3.3% in 2005 to 9.4% in 2020, involving over 5.6 million people. SaNP is intended as a collective embrace for those who feel invisible.
The project involves several rapidly adaptive initiatives:
- Prima il Pane was created in collaboration with the Banco Alimentare and the Municipality of Cinisello Balsamo to collect food surpluses and combat the waste of edible food.
- Charity Street has evolved significantly, becoming a daily street unit operating in the most critical areas of Milan, such as Central Station and Lambrate, in partnership with the Municipality of Milano and the Sammartini center. The quality and passion applied to these interventions have led to Fondazione Cumse being recognized as the responsible reference point for the Northern area of Milan.
- Time to Care and 4 Ruote Amiche are projects designed to offer support to the elderly and sick people living alone.
These interventions reflect the Foundation’s philosophy: rather than having a specific “operational focus,” they respond to emerging needs with competence and promptness.
A vision beyond borders
What distinguishes Fondazione Cumse is its capacity to build long-lasting relationships and promote the reciprocal exchange of knowledge and experiences, rather than simply offering external aid. The collaboration between Italian volunteers and local communities, even at a distance, creates a genuine human bridge that transcends mere technical or financial support. The tangible results focus on promoting self-determination and the future independence of the communities, avoiding mere welfarism.
Stefano Chicoli concludes that volunteers are the Foundation’s “engine” and the tangible manifestation of humanity’s will to do good. He notes that maintaining a positive outlook towards others helps overcome barriers created by a purely utilitarian view of life. However, the Foundation faces challenges, particularly in constant fundraising, being described as “like a Ferrari without gas (i.e., without capital),” highlighting the struggle to raise awareness among donors.
Fondazione Cumse, one of the 252 NGOs registered with AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation), continues to adapt to new challenges after over 25 years of activity. It keeps alive the human dimension that characterized its inception, when everything began with that simple “thank you”—a small seed that continues to sprout and grow, transforming the lives of both those who give and those who receive.
