“Stories of Hope” is a long-term project. I meet ordinary people that carry a message of hope, a fragment of the future”
— Luca
Story #22 - William
Bringing the art of mosaic to Paris
William Bertoia, Valvasone (Pordenone), Italy
William is a master of mosaic. A craftsman. He is over 80 years old and is passionate about mosaics as if he were a kid.
“My journey as a mosaic artist began as a child, with the discovery of a bag of marble tiles belonging to my grandfather, a mosaic terracer since the early 1900s.”
He then attended and graduated from the ‘Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli” in Spilimbergo, Italy. I started working in the workshops of the marble workers in the area and then, in 1981, opened his own company.
When I met him, he shared with me some history of the mosaic, which arrived in Friuli Venezia Giulia (his region, and actually mine as well) already during the Roman Empire in the city of Aquileia. Here it was then transformed from decorative art, for private homes and public spaces, to sacred art for the decoration of the basilica in the early Christian period.
He explained me that after the fall of the Venetian Republic, Friulian artisans, after the closure of almost all the workshops, spread to the major European cities of the time. They opened workshops in Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin.
Mosaic, December, 2023
William Bertoia, Decembe 2023
His dream now is to bring the art of mosaic to Paris. His companies already worked for fashion store.
“The first work we did in Paris was in 1988, the floor of the KENZO store on Boulevard Raspail. Then we did four Gucci stores (Charles de Gaulle, Place de la Madeleine; Faubourg Saint-Honoré; Place Vendôme), but also Dolce and Gabbana ”
If you walk in Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, and stop by ‘Dolce & Gabbana”, you can see (even from the shop window) the 36 sqm portrait of Antonietta, made with the tecnique of mosaic).
William wants now to open the art of mosaic to a more general public, to explain and present its richness.
William dedicated all his life to mosaic. I found in his eyes the kindness and the passion of an old man, passionate about his work, who wants now to give back to a wider community. He feels that his region has a heritage that deserves to be brought outside fashion shops. As an artist.
Good luck, William; I hope to attend your Paris exhibition soon.
William Bertoia, December 2023
#Story21: Fernanda
The coffee and the land of Maya
We are used to drinking coffee without imagining the story behind the coffee. I mean, we probably know about the beans, the roasting, the different ways of preparing a good cofee.
On our automatic machines, we open a compartment, insert a capsule, push a button, and in a few seconds, black coffee pours into our mag. Moka is similar, just a little bit longer.
When I traveled to Guatemala last August, I had the opportunity to visit a coffee plant and factory.
Ricardo, our guide, told us about the local community involved in coffee plants in the region.
Ricardo, my guide in the coffee plant
I imagined one of these stories.
The coffee of the land of the Maya
The sun beat strong on Fernanda's back, as it climbed through coffee plants. She was working for hours. Her hands burned, but she couldn't stop. Her family depended on her work, and she was determined to do her best.
Fernanda was born in a small Mayan community in the Ixil region of Guatemala. Her family has always dedicated herself to the cultivation of coffee. Her parents taught her everything there was to know about the plantation, and she had become one of the best harvesters in the village.
Working in a coffee plantation is complex and tiring. The days are long and the weather conditions are often difficult. But María was used to this. She was born in this world.
That day, Fernanda was picking up the coffee berries that were ripe. She detached them gently, paying attention not to spoil them. Then, she put them in a wicker basket that carried on his shoulders.
When the basket was full, Fernanda took it to the center of the plantation, where she dumped him into a large sack. Then she did it again and again until her job was over.
In the meantime, at the farm everything was ready to continue the process of ensuring coffee can be prepared for packaging and distribution. It is a long process. Patience is key. Coffee needs time.
Working in a coffee plantation is also a way to stay in contact with nature. Fernanda loved the silence of mature, the view of the vulcanos, and the sound of birds singing among the trees.
Antigua Guatemala, August 2023
She knew it was time to return home when the sun began to set. She was tired, but satisfied with her work. She helped to gather a large crop, which would feed his family and other farmers.
Fernanda was proud to be a peasant in Guatemala. She knew that the coffee she collected was appreciated all over the world, and that it helped to support the economy of his country.
Climate change
In recent years, however, Fernanda’s work had become increasingly difficult. Climate change was making climate conditions more extreme, with heavier rainfall and longer drought periods.
These changes had a negative impact on coffee production. Plants were more susceptible to diseases and pests, and the crop was often lower than expectations.
Fernanda was concerned about the future of her family. She knew that climate change was putting their livelihood at risk.
Coffe plant, Cofino, Antigua Guatemala
A new hope
One day, Fernanda participated in a workshop organized by a non-governmental organization working to help small coffee producers. At the workshop, she learned how to adapt her agricultural practices to climate change.
Fernanda began planting new varieties of coffee that were more resistant to diseases and parasites. She also started using more efficient irrigation techniques to reduce the impact of drought.
Thanks to this new knowledge, she was able to improve the production of her coffee, making it of a high quality.
Fernanda was happy to help protect the environment and ensure a better future for her family.
This story is a story of hope. It is the story of a woman who, despite difficulties, has never given up her dreams.
Fernanda’s experience is also a story of change, of a woman who has learned to adapt to climate change, to ensure a better future for herself and her family.
Muchas gracias Ricardo.
You helped me increase my awareness of what is behind my daily coffee. How many ‘Fernanda’ work in difficult conditions, waking up early morning to be at the plant a collect and transport beans?
I will care more about my morning coffee now.
Story #20 - Maria
Building a legacy. For her son.
Maria Scandurra, Pordenone, Italy - remembering Alfio
Recently, I told Alfio’s sad story. I met him two years ago in Italy, during one of my visits home.
Friends mentioned to me a man with a strong link with nature who fell in love with going slow. It was a philosophy of life, an attitude contrasting with our current times, where people are always on the go, with so many things to do, pretending all of them to be essential.
As a concrete gesture of embracing slow-life, Alfio chose a donkey as a companion for his errands. Literally. Forced to follow its slow steps. And at the same time, with the opportunity to admire what surrounds you in nature.
Alfio Scandurra, Giugno 2021
One year later, I had discovered that, unfortunately, Alfio had passed away from a violent disease.
You can read my blog post here.
For some strange coincidence, a few weeks ago, my parents met Maria, Alfio’s mum, and showed her my blog post on the phone. She was touched but didn’t get the meaning of a text written in English.
I decided to print some of the pictures, produce one of my zines and translate some impressions of my meeting with Alfio into Italian. I mailed everything to Maria, and she appreciated it very much. It is always lovely when our pictures leave the screen and reach our protagonists, our heroes. That is why we produce images, after all.
Maria wanted to meet me and learn more about my exchange with Alfio.
It wasn’t easy for her. She has been through a tough time.
“When you lose a son, a part of you is detached. You cannot find any reasons. It just hurts so much.”
She started collecting memories, testimonies, and messages that still reach Alfio’s Facebook page and mobile phone. His life has inspired many people, and she believes that there is a legacy in Alfio’s approach to life.
Testimonies, June 2023
She showed me the oak tree planted in his honour to remember Alfio and to find, ideally, a place in the nature where people that wants to connects with him can go.
“Oak trees are known for their excellent adaptation capacity. Their growth is very slow, but they can reach more than thirty meters high and have always inspired admiration and respect.”
Or the collection of little stones in her apartment, with a sign of hearts, left by friends and acquaintances, people that she not even know.
Maria started a book to get all these testimonies together. She transcripts Facebook messages, texts, and voice messages addressed to Alfio. She attaches photographs or newspaper cuts. It is a sort of bullet journal.
These messages give hope to Maria and heal, a little bit, her pain and suffering. She feels comfort when recurrent feedback from people indicate that Alfio left a profound trace in their life.
“Dear friend,
I feel like you’re with us, in the next room, busy doing something important.
You left a presence filling the space of memory and time.
I am grateful for what you have sown in your earthly path.
I never met you, yet it’s like I knew you.
As the saying says: “To live in the hearts of those who remain means not to know death”
I am so happy some of my pictures will help Maria build a legacy for her son, keeping a vivid memory of a constant presence.
Maria Scandurra, giugno 2023
Story #19: George
30 marathons; 30 months; for 30 km/h speed limit in cities
professor George Yannis, Athens (featured in Paris)
George is a well-known and respected road safety expert. But he is also a long-lasting marathon runner. From Athens, he leads the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, a Center of Research and Innovation Excellence on Road Safety, with global recognition for its highly valuable contribution to the improvement of road safety in Greece, in Europe and worldwide.
George started running systematically long distances at the age of 16 and during his life he completed more than 40 marathons. Running is part of his life: his students know that they can join him in the campus for run after classes.
He decided to combine these two passions and launched a personal campaign to deliver road safety messages during marathons.
“After more than 30 years of dedication to road safety science and several marathon races, I decided to combine both passions for a cause: to run 30 Marathons in 30 months to actively promote the adoption of 30 kmh speed limit in as many cities as possible worldwide”
George, a few days before Paris Marathon 2023
Speed management is as a fundamental policy for safer, healthier and greener cities for all. Not only does speeding make a crash more likely to happen, it also increases the likelihood of severe injuries .
Experts ofter remind us that both excessive speed (driving above the speed limit) and inappropriate speed (driving too fast for the conditions, but within the limits) are important crash causation factors
“Speeding is the number one cause of road crashes worldwide and I count on your support to promote actively 30 km/h cities and save 50% of lives lost today.”
It is about physics. When speed increases, the risk of a crash and of its severity increases as well: the time to react is shorter and the manoeuvrability of a speeding car is smaller. in other words, the faster the car is the longer it takes to stop in case of an emergency (e.g. a kid following a rolling ball on the street; a family crossing the street hidden by an obstacle; etc.)
George decided to bring this message to the marathons in Europe and beyond. His t-shirt might look strange in an environment of runners (“speed limit 30 km/h”) but actually intrigues participants and offer opportunities to engage in conversation within the group of participants to the marathon.
He ran already in Rome, Malta, Valencia, Athens, London, Antwerp, Helsinki, Zagori. Paris was the 9th of his challenge
“During 30 months I will focus on scientific planning and preparation, systematic effort and continuous monitoring and dedication in order to complete the 30 Marathons. Exactly the skills that are needed by any City to change and achieve steady progress towards sustainable city mobility”
It wasn’t easy to cross George at the marathon in Paris with so many participants. But we have agreed on a specific area by the Seine and, luckily, I could identify his shirt and the round road traffic panel with the 30 number on it.
That was, more or lest, Km 27 …. some more to complete in a good timing of 3h and 52 minutes.
George at the Paris Marathon, 2 April 2023 - Km 27 and 500 m
George showed me that when you combine your work with your personal passions, your can set ambitious target, find new motivation, involved the people around you. You can check the reactions on his LindeIn page, when he first announced the challenge, a few weeks ago.
Good luck in your journey George. Keep on delivering safety messages to ordinary people, those who run next you and all spectators around the world watching the races. In Paris there were 50,000 runners.
If you want to follow George check our his website - If you want to learn more about his research work, follow this link
George Yannis, 1 April 2023, Place de la Concorde - Paris
Story #18 : the helmet vaccine
The helmet vaccine
Motorcycles in South East Asia
Motorcycles crossing the Long Bien bridge, Hanoi
You have to visit South-East Asia to understand the level of motorcycle penetration in cities. In countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and The Philippines, mopeds and motorcycles are the primary modes of transport.
Unfortunately, also one of the most dangerous. Experts label motorcyclists under the category ‘vulnerable road users’. Head injuries can create long-lasting traumas, if not causing the death of bikers when a crash occurs.
Despite that, the helmet use rate is not yet high, particularly for children. Moreover, the presence on the market of cheap, plastic helmets with minimum, if not absent, protection, coupled with the lack of awareness of end user, result in a sort of ‘Russian roulette’: the first mistake can be fatal to any biker or passenger of a motorcycle.
The story I want to share comes from Protec, a social enterprise based in Hanoi, Vietnam, producing ethically-sourced helmets.
Protec
The factory is accessible to disabled people
Established in 2000, a few years ago, right before COVID, Protec opened a second 20,000m2 factory in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam, an hour's drive outside Hanoi. The one I had the chance to visit.
Since day one, the mission has been clear and very ambitious: finding and injecting a vaccine in the transport system, the only vaccine possible for motorcycle safety.
Helmets.
It is strange to imagine, but countries where the number of motorcycles is booming are also the countries with the lowest helmet standard. It means that riders buy helmets that do not protect their head, or not as European helmets do.
I had the fortune to visit the plant and see all the production lines: the testing laboratory to measure the effect of a crash on a helmet; the different phases of production, including the mall that can produce helmets based on international standards, the same we use in Europe or in North America; the way automation and human control interact, to achieve a high-quality product.
A bad helmet, failing basic crash test
I wanted to photograph and document the behind the scene and the ‘production’ of this vaccine.
Protec employs 150 workers at its factory, a significant portion of whom are living with disabilities.
At the factory
As all modern factories, there is a component of automated function, with robot programmed to work independently. It is impressive to see how this machine design and forge the shell and the shape of an helmet.
But the human component remains relevant, ensuring a quality control on each individual helmet. Every single piece was manually handled and controlled.
Specific components are handles manually, ensuring high quality control
Motorcycle safety start with good quality helmets
I saw people working with enthusiasm, not only because of the high-quality standard of working conditions but also because my impression was that they feel to be part of a broader effort to contribute to saving lives.
Stock of helmet ready for shipment
The Founder
A chat with Greig Craft,
Founder of Protec
Greig Craft, the founder, was not there during my visit, but I had the chance to discuss with him about all this started. First question was about WHY helmet.
“When I arrived in Vietnam, I was shocked to see most victims were painfully young, most of whom were just graduating from high schools, and would likely become the main supporters in their families in the future. Why could this happen in a country that boasted one of the highest post-natal vaccination rates of the world?”
Setting up a factory is not an easy process, and I wanted to know also HOW if helmet wearing was a cultural issue in Vietnam.
Not only helmets were not mandatory for riding a motorbike, but event standard were lacking.
“We measured 5000 heads to find an appropriate fit for Asians. We created the world’s first ‘tropical’. It met our key criteria to be climate-appropriate, lightweight, and affordable”
The story of Protec wouldn’t be complete with the parallel work that Greig and his team undertook with the AIP Foundation, pushing traffic safety in the national agenda; promoting helmet donation programmes for kids; building alliance to change the culture around helmet safety; bringing in international partner.
One of the key outcomes of this effort was the introduction, in 2007, of the helmet law in Vietnam. Since then, fatalities have dropped by 33.500.
Moreover, it is estimated that in the first ten years of application of the law, 500,000 head injuries and 15,000 fatalities have been prevented due to the increase of helmet use, without considering medical costs and human suffering.
Helmets produced in this social enterprise ensure quality and affordability and have saved many lives. Protec is a place of hope, built to inject a vaccine in a society which suffers from an invisible pandemic.
Helmet safety
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