Harnessing motivation, creating impact: SAIS Bologna during the war in Ukraine

Read Time:6 Minute, 24 Second

Callie Fauntleroy

Edited by Jacob Levitan

Soon after the war broke out in Ukraine, refugees began pouring into Europe by the thousands. At a quarter to midnight on a cold March evening in Bologna, Italy, I received a Whatsapp message from a classmate of mine, Rob Levinson, from my MA program at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He asked in our class group chat, “Does anyone have extra blankets? We just took in a Ukrainian family.” Without hesitation, I responded, “Yes.”

Rob’s daughter Samantha and her partner Miky, had worked in humanitarian aid through a Jewish organization in Budapest (AJJDC) and had connections who notified them that hundreds of Ukrainian refugees were sent on buses and were set to arrive in Italy that day. But as the days passed, and the inflow continued, Samantha and Miky’s act of kindness supporting one family evolved into a full-fledged initiative as more Ukrainians reached out for help. I worked with Samantha and Miky from the beginning by welcoming families and providing food and other supplies, but my role quickly changed. I soon began to assist in the coordination of each new arrival, and in the summer, I eventually moved into one of our safe houses to provide on-demand support for the families. It was clear early on, however, that there were too many people who needed help for the three of us to provide.

Miky and Samantha helping two Ukrainian women restart their business as nail technicians.

The SAIS community stepped up to the challenge. By the end of March, students had already worked with local NGOs to mobilize over $12,000 in humanitarian supplies. But as we packed up the last truck leaving from Bologna to the Polish border, we realized that we were not done yet. That spring break, students left their apartment keys with Samantha and Mikey to temporarily house Ukrainian families while they were away. With this, a broad volunteering network named “Due Torri” (after the two towers in the center of Bologna) was born.

Soon our small group of three had expanded to over fifty. As spring emerged, news of our work had begun to spread around town and reached the SAIS administration and alumni. The SAIS alums played a key role in helping connect us with local NGOs and helped us meet our fundraising gaps, including the funding of our “Solferino Safe House,” which housed the majority of families.

The students’ motivation, various forms of capital, and alumni expertise created a strong platform that we used to facilitate action in our community. Eight months after that first text message was sent, we had collectively provided housing and other direct humanitarian support to nearly 500 Ukrainian refugees.

Rob Levinson (SAIS class of 2021) putting together a welcome basket for students.

Two SAIS students carrying humanitarian supplies to a local NGO that was sending aid to the Ukrainian border with Poland.

We accomplished this thanks to our highly motivated team. In the dead of night, our dedicated volunteers welcomed refugee families at the airport. Ukrainian and Russian-speaking students rose to the occasion and readily provided valuable translation services. Our students also used their connections in Bologna to curate thoughtful “welcome baskets” for the arriving families. Generous contributions from our alumni enabled us to provide crucial psychological support to young women who were suffering from PTSD. One of our Ukrainian professors even hosted a family along with their beloved pet pigeon. Through these collective efforts, we showed the immense potential of intergenerational collaboration and highlighted the strength of the SAIS community.

When it was time to move out of the Solferino Safe House, where I lived for over three months with dozens of refugee families, I was filled with nostalgia. Now, many months later, my memories of the house are clear and loud in my mind – like the sound of children yelling, dogs barking (we had three dogs in the apartment at one point), doors slamming (teen drama continues with a life on the road), and various birthday celebrations. But the quiet days stood out the most to me. We would gather during nights of pain and celebration alike, routinely fitting eleven people around the small glass table that was designed to fit five.

A picnic at the park with two Ukrainian families from Odesa and Lviv whom we became quite close with.

I remember how during the hottest days of the Bologna summer, women would sit on the balcony in the shade, listening to the radio news for hours straight, speaking little. Those who worked remotely online would take turns using the kitchen for brief moments of peace.

I remember the nights of silence we had around the dinner table due to language barriers. One family only spoke Ukrainian, one only spoke Russian, and I English and some Italian. “Dyakuyu,” “grazie,” “thanks,” and “spasibo,” were the few words exchanged as we passed the tagliatelle con ragù alla Bolognese and parmesan across the table.

I remember the many nights filled with intense sorrow when people learned someone they knew had been killed, or that their hometown had been bombed.

When I shut the apartment door for the last time in mid-December 2022, I was reminded of all the determined and resilient people who had walked through those doors. We could have shut the door on this story too and ended it there, but the people that we helped fueled us to keep going.

When SAIS alumni came to me in March 2022, they had an idea. They wondered how we could extend our horizons if we formed a charitable foundation to support our work in Bologna with an official and non-taxable funding stream. So, the SAIS administration connected us with the Belgian King Baudouin Foundation. A year later, in March 2023, the foundation, Alumni Aid for Ukraine, was finally formed with three SAIS alumni as the founders; Luigi Giovine (Italy), Damian Collignon (France), and Brian Ruszczyk (USA).

Before the 2023 commencement, Due Torri club members joined a fundraising dinner at a local migrant center hosted by an Italian NGO called Refugees Welcome Italia.

Although the foundation was established after we finished our Ukrainian refugee initiative in Bologna, we recognized the great potential we could have by collaborating with SAIS students, alumni, the administration, and the broader Bolognese community to make a joint impact. We consequently shifted our mission.

Now, we plan to support those impacted by the war in Ukraine by collaborating with institutions like SAIS to assist affected scholars and students. Our goal is to eventually extend this support to students facing conflict and socio-economic challenges in their countries, providing them with equal access to career and leadership opportunities. Additionally, we’re developing a grant-based program for innovative initiatives addressing pressing global issues. Students, along with alumni and others, will evaluate and select the best options. Our emphasis lies in fostering small-scale grassroots initiatives, enabling their growth to build a stronger civil society.

These initiatives demonstrate how the SAIS community, when motivated, can truly make a positive impact on the world.