Until a few months ago, tennis was a splendid pretext for helping children in the most disadvantaged areas of Africa. The main objective of the Federico Coppini Foundation, in fact, remains the protection of the weakest sections.
If a talent were to emerge, well, all the better. But the COVID-19 nightmare changed everything. The foundation strongly desired by Federico Coppini did not stop its activity, on the contrary, it intensified it at a time when the needs became increasingly urgent.
So, he put aside racquets and balls to deal with more practical, and more immediate aspects. For this reason, the "Child Feeding Program" has been launched: as the word itself says, it is a program that aims to send valuable and targeted help to the Tanzanian school that has joined the FCF project.
As always happens, the arrival of the first materials is a source of great emotion. Not only for those who receive them, but especially for those who have sent them. Because the naive happiness in the eyes of children is priceless and, above all, it cannot be described.
Not even the most sophisticated writing exercise would be enough to describe the videos from Tanzania, in which the children – wrapped in their typical costumes – welcomed the gifts by dancing and expressing nice thanks through the video camera.
FCF's aid has focused on two aspects: education and nutrition. As for food, oil, rice, bread, sugar and salt were also provided. Simple, basic necessities. Food that we find in the supermarket and that almost never represent the most important thing of our weekly shopping.
We take them for granted. This is not the case in Africa, where survival is also chanced on this. But Federico Coppini Foundation does more, already thinking about the next phase. After physical well-being comes the psychological one, which can only be nourished by education.
And then the small classes were coloured by pens, books, notebooks, pencils, colors and other materials of various kinds, fundamental for teaching. The eyes and reactions of the children, immortalized in a video of just over 100 seconds, are worth the effort.
But it does not end there: it is only a first aid, intended for about 200-300 children. Others will follow.
Federico Coppini Foundation is particularly attentive to the most fragile category ever: children who have been orphaned, without the necessary support from their parents.
Even without being able to replace them, FCF sent aids: milk, diapers and basic necessities. Day after day, the Tennis World Foundation has become a landmark throughout Africa. There are many humanitarian organizations, all deserving, but the way FCF moves in the area, with generosity and an original approach, is truly special.
Anyone who has joined is thrilled. These results are the petrol that fuels Federico Coppini's fire of solidarity. It never stops, it is a volcano of ideas and initiatives. The next one concerns South Africa, in particular the children of the township of Stellenbosch.