Original Story Published by: Cecilia Seppia, www.vaticannews.va
Photo Source: Courtesy of VaticanNews.va
(Above) Some of the recipients of the scholarships funded by the sale of the bottle caps.
From Villaciambra, Italy, to Juba, South Sudan, a 5,000-kilometre-long journey tells the story of the "Open Caps" project. Tons of bottle caps are collected, sold, and recycled, providing a way to pay for scholarships for young people in South Sudan. The African nation still suffers from various crises, but people are finding hope and a chance in life through education.
Officials at Italy’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs had strongly advised them against travelling to South Sudan. Less than 24 hours before the flight the couple received a phone call from the Ministry advising them not to go, saying “it is dangerous, and we cannot guarantee your safety.” But Marta Genova, a journalist, and her husband Antonino Costa, a photographer, cared so much about this beautiful story. And despite the warning, they loaded their suitcases with equipment, passion, and faith, and took their flight to Juba, South Sudan, so they could document and share their story about the "Open Caps" project through their journalistic efforts.
It all began in a small village of just over a thousand people in the province of Palermo, a place called Villaciambra at the Don Bruno di Bella Oratory of the parish of Maria Santissima del Rosario. During Sunday Mass, Marta and Antonino sat in the Church pews and after the blessing, they heard the parish priest speaking about the collection and sale of these plastic bottle caps with a 'miraculous' consideration. They are used to finance charitable initiatives for poor people in difficult circumstances.
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