Fernanda's students - AEB Portugal

One day things changed, in the sky there was no more sun and stars, there were just some strange things, later he found out they were bombs. 

The houses disappeared, there were pieces of broken glass everywhere, streets full of holes, people screaming and some wounds. 

A nightmare has started!!! 

He no longer had a school and they no longer knew about his family. On people's faces you could only see fear and terror.

Noah's family, consisting of his father, mother and a sister who would be born soon, decided to flee. 

There were no more living conditions, it was not safe to live in the country they loved so much.             

                                                                          Fernanda's students - AEB Portugal

                                                    Didem's students / Turkey

Noah was crying silently in his room at night, thinking about where they were going. He had heard that his neighbors and a few relatives had taken refuge in other countries.
How everything had changed? 

                                       Melis Tuğçe's students / Turkey

Noah and his family were blown away by the bomb that fell on their very close neighbor's house. 

Now a migration journey had begun for them. 

They quickly gathered what they could take with them. 

Noah and his family said goodbye to all their neighbors. 

Nothing would ever be the same again.

As the bombs fell, their fear increased. They set out earlier than they thought. 

They hadn't even decided where to go.                                                                     

                                                                                    Aylin's  students-Turkey

After a long walk, Noah and his family decided to go to Turkey.

While Noah and his family were running away, one of the bombs hit his mother.

Noah's mother Alice is hospitalized after arriving in Turkey.

Noah and his family were very worried about their mother.

                                                                                        Aylin's  students-Turkey

In the hospital Noah’s mum received all the health care she needed from the doctors who saved her life.

In the meanwhile, his baby sister was born. 

They named her Gift. 

Unfortunately, Turkey would have been just the first stop of a long journey, for Noah. 

Silvana's students-Italy

When Noah was four, his grandfather passed onto him the passion for music; he was a violinist. 

So, Noah learned to play the violin from his grandfather who gave him one as a present. 

Noah was very fond of his violin; it was a very precious object to him. 

When he played this instrument, he felt happy, and things turned into positive.

Silvana's students - Italy

When the family was forced to flee, the only thing that Noah took with him was his violin. 

Now the family was getting through a very difficult moment. 

Noah’s father realised that his family could not move from Turkey, because of his wife in the hospital and his new-born daughter. 

Otherwise, he was aware that at least his ten-year-old son deserved a better life. 

So, he decided to buy a ticket to the land of Spes, Latin name for hope, just for Noah. 

Because they didn't have money, the only object useful to pay the ticket was the violin.

Stefania's students - Italy

Noah’s father was very sorry for that, but he thought it was necessary. When he had the ticket, he spoke to Noah explaining that it was important he left Turkey to reach the land of Spes. 

There, he would have found some help to move to a new country where there was no war. 

Noah’s father explained that he was very sorry to have given away his violin to buy the ticket, but the violin case had been spared. 

Inside the case there was not the instrument anymore, but it was full of all the love the family nourished for him. 

The father said: “Noah, now it's your turn! Fill this case with all the creativity of your new life, until we will join again as a family.”

Letizia's students - Italy

Noah was sad and afraid to leave his family, but he understood that it was necessary. 

He joined a group of people in the same condition. 

They walked for two days to reach the seaside; there they could have embarked. 

They all were very tired, dusty, hungry, and thirsty. 

Among the people on board, there was a young woman who was pregnant. 

Noah remembered of her mum, and he started taking care of her. 

He also made friends with a girl named Naila.

Margherita's students - Italy

Night came and the weather changed. A bad storm hit the boat. 

High, threatening waves destroyed the boat and people were thrown into the sea. 

Noah and Naila clung to a large piece of wood and managed to keep themselves afloat. 

When the dawn broke, they sighted the mainland. 

They put together all the remaining energy and reached the coast. 

Once there, they realised they had arrived in the Land of Spes.

Lidia's students - Italy

In the  Land of Spes, Noah and Naila arrived exausted but full of hope, sure to find a new life very soon. 

Noah thought about his family, now far away from him, and he was overcome by a great sadness. 

Not all of the people who boarded with him had survived.

Fortunately, in the Land of Spes, the two children were helped by the International Red Cross, a humanitarian organization, which found a family in Italy, who would have welcomed them.

Maria Pia's students - Italy

The International Red Cross placed these two tired children in a family. The Cristian family, who have had no children all their lives, adopted Noah and Naila as their own children.

After a while, the two children who started school in Italy started to direct their future by forgetting the bad days they had spent.

                                                                           Berna's students - Turkey

Although Noah was happy in Italy, he missed his family very much. 

When the family who took Noah with them saw his bitter state, they began to investigate if there was anything they could do for his family. 

After meeting with the authorities in Italy and Turkey, they brought Noah's family to Italy. 

Noah was very happy to see his father, but there was something else besides his father that made Noah happy. 

After he left, his father got Noah's violin back. 

Noah began to give concerts with his violin for all the people all over the world who were forced to leave their homes.                                

  Mehmet's students - Turkey

One day Noah met a boy from Lucera, a city in the South of Italy, at a concert in Milan.  The boy invited him to visit his city and his school, in the specific his class the 3rd E. Noah accepted the invitation and left for Lucera. Some children welcomed him in Arabic Language saying “أهلا بك”, that is to say “Welcome”.

Others helped him draw some endangered species of animals such as white tigers and he learned their Slogan “DON’T CHOOSE EXCTINCTION”. 

Noah was very happy when a black girl from the class led him in some African dances. 

He had a wonderful surprise when a pupil of the class wrote a piece of music for him. 

At the end they greeted Noah by singing and dancing together. 

He answered the greeting of his new friends with some phrases in BSL (British Sign Language) that were “I LOVE YOU” and “I'M NOT AFRAID TO FALL”. 

Then he played for them an engaging symphony with his violin.

Maria Elena's students - Italy

Noah grew up and one day he decided to become a Red Cross volunteer to help with Humanity, Impartiality and Neutrality all the people in the world who were in situations of suffering. 

Thanks to his personal experience he lived when he was young, he had developed a special sensitivity that had prompted him to offer his availability as a Red Cross volunteer to welcome migrants to Italy, upon their arrival.

Through his action, he wanted to attest that "Every human being is important and deserves respect".

Alessandra's students - Italy

A collaborative story written by all the project partners:

Maria Fernanda Alvega, Aylin Akiuz, Silvana Daniele, 

Stefania Guerrini, Letizia Maniscalco, 

Margherita Ciociano, Lidia Laterza, Maria Pia Fabbri, 

Berna Degirmenci, Mehmet Siddik Alaca, 

Melis Tugce Tuna, Didem Kiziltoprak Irmakli, 

Maria Elena Tozzi, Alessandra Braga and 

..... all their students.

 This book wouldn't have been possible without them.