She has just returned from Malawi, one of the poorest and most crowded countries on the African continent – between Zambia and Tanzania – where 65 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day and half of the children are malnourished. Here a village is born stone by stone that focuses on babies, the little creatures that need everything.

It will be called, indeed, “Lalla’s World” by name and remember lavinia trimatera, Wren, only seven years old, was crushed under the weight of a marble statue in the garden of a hotel in central Munich where he was holidaying with his mother and father, both lawyers, both determined to continue this project at all costs because “she wants it this way and we will do it this way”. Valentina Boggi It traces stages of the story that still don’t quite fit a few months later.

That was August 26th.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a movie. I say to myself: Now it’s over and everything goes back to how it was before. Unfortunately that’s not the case and so I go ahead and live.”

You and her husband, Michelle, just got back from Africa.

“An incredible experience, such a painful journey, but now our hearts beat with joy. One of the images I see in my eyes is a group of children playing soccer with a ball made of plastic bags. And they were laughing and joking while they were happy, as if they had the most beautiful game in the world.”

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«You can’t imagine, you just have to go there to understand how people live in those countries. I will tell you one thing: upon learning of our arrival, the volunteers asked us to bring some sweets and specified that they should be “Chupa Chups” ».

Because?

“You remove any candy, you eat it and in a few moments you are done. Chupa Chups, on the other hand, can last up to a week: you lick it a little, wrap it again in paper, and keep it.”

What else did you bring to Africa?

“Seventy kilograms of bags. Everything we can: clothes, shoes, children live barefoot, and it’s cold there in winter. So much so that we brought lots of cardigans and pullovers. On the spot, however, we bought 400 kilos of wheat, 400 kilos of sugar, and 500 blankets. And then the medicines, in fact, if I could, I would gladly thank the Lyon and Romano pharmacies for the amount of medicines they gave us ».

Which ones in particular? What is required?

“Everything is required. Even antiseptic is missing to clean the wound if someone gets hurt. Then antibiotics: because of drinking contaminated water, they almost all suffer from intestinal infections ».

How did the idea of ​​building a “Lala Village” in Malawi originate?

“A desperate attempt to try to understand our daughter’s death and to try to move forward with the goal that, even as a small one, she would share with her the enthusiasm that marked her life.”

Lavinia’s story touched everyone’s heart.

“That’s right. I constantly receive testimonies of affection and solidarity. To fulfill this village also, there are many people, many of whom I don’t know, willing to lend a hand to me. I assure you, I have a great need for it.”

Lavinia is now an icon.

“That’s right. Sometimes it makes me think that maybe, in some way, he felt it.”

What you mean?

“Often we find ourselves with my husband Michel remembering what he said to us and many of the words, today, it’s as if they have a different meaning.”

Example.

Lalla loved drawing, dancing and singing. One of his favorite songs was “Over the Rainbow”. He was part of the San Carlo Children’s Voices Invitational Choir. “Mom,” she used to repeat to me often, “you’ll see, I’ll become famous.” In the end, it became the one everyone talked about.”

Did anyone pay for what happened to Lavinia?

“Everything is off in effective Germany. The lawyer has just informed us that they have not even written the results to the expert reports yet and there is not even a trace of the results of the autopsy done in August.”

However, the story is pretty straightforward: This statue wasn’t nailed to the ground and ended up on the little girl.

Obvious to us, obviously not to them. The Rome Prosecutor’s Office also intervened for the news: they answered from Munich that they must first close the investigation and then they will let us know. forget that”.

You should also get compensation.

“We will go ahead to get it. Every penny we managed to get will be invested in Lalla Village.”

At what stage is construction taking place?

“School is almost over, the ceiling will be painted because I’m sure Lavinia would have designed it. At the same time we are setting up a health center, there is a lot of malaria, a well for drinking water, a canteen, a chicken farm, an area for games and sports. I have to say thanks to Carlo Flamente, President of the Coccello Foundation, to Tiziana Leon and Margherita Graselli from Africasotosopra: without their work, the lives of African children would be much more difficult.

When will he return to Malawi?

“So soon. I left a piece of my heart there. We were about to leave when three children appeared from the cottage, they looked at us smiling and each one had a doll in his hands. I couldn’t believe it. They were Minnie and Dumbo and the stuffed hamster, the same ones my daughter hadn’t parted with.” more about it.”