An evening with facilitators from the humanitarian world

The first evening in Brindisi was a very interesting one as more than 30 facilitators sat down to have dinner. It was raining heavily and we were all walking in the rain to the restaurant.

It was a very humbling evening as I was surrounded by so many humanitarian actors who had been in the job for so many years with so many different experiences. Some had been in Darfour while others in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Their stories were some that I would never be able to experience but hearing these stories makes a lot of difference in my perception of humanitarian workers and raised my level of respect for them.

Everyone was friendly and always smiling and wanting to share their stories and I became an avid listener to these wonderful stories. I use the word "wonderful" as both good and bad experiences and are learning experiences for me.

Looking forward to a great day on Sunday as the activities and briefings begin for us at the base of operations called Brinland Ops in Punta della Contessa.