A Christmas Shop with a Global Heart

by Giada Aquilino

Nearly 10,000 km separate Reggio Emilia, Italy, and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. But the Christmas Shop, open in Reggio Emilia until December 24th, is shrinking that distance. The event is organized by “I sant’Innocenti,” an association stemming from the Opera di Nàzaret. Founder Giovanni Riva challenged a group of young families in the 1970s to focus on “the world and those who have no visibility,” explains Helena Lanza, a Honduran university student studying in Italy for the past eight years. She’s a key organizer of the shop. “It started in 1979, before I was born, but I love being involved,” she says. “It’s become a real shop selling antiques, Christmas decorations, paintings, and crafts. All proceeds support our projects, especially those abroad in guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.”

The funds primarily support educational projects for children facing hardship. “These children have economic and family difficulties and live in marginal areas plagued by criminal gangs – the so-called maras,” Helena explains. These gangs compete for territory and frequently enough recruit minors. “Our initiatives emphasize the importance of education and community.” The goal is to show these young people that they aren’t destined “to a life of hardship forever. Through scholarships and medical days for families, we help them find a way out.”

Helena shares her experiences in Honduras. “In Tegucigalpa, we’ve run a project called Libros Libres (Free Books) as 2011. It began in Los Dolores Market, where families with significant economic difficulties sell clothes, food, and handicrafts. This market is their livelihood.Many are women who work with their children nearby. Some children attend school in the morning, but spend their afternoons running around with nothing to do.” Fifteen years ago, Vladimir Sabillón, a former “I sant’Innocenti” scholarship recipient, returned to Tegucigalpa after studying in Italy. He brought to life Professor Riva’s vision of staying connected to the realities on the ground, working with