From fundraising to frontline support: Francesca Mineo on Refugee Week
As refugee Week comes to a close, we spoke to Francesca Mineo, IFCo Italy Director, about why refugee issues are personally important to her, her volunteer work with Sant’Egidio, and what she has learned from supporting refugees and migrant communities in Italy.
Refugee Week is a time to celebrate the resilience, courage and contributions of refugees and people seeking sanctuary, while also recognising the organisations, communities and individuals working to create more welcoming and inclusive societies.
As one of the main entry points for people seeking safety in Europe, Italy continues to sit at the centre of conversations around migration, integration and humanitarian support. Alongside her work in fundraising consultancy, Francesca has seen first-hand the role that community organisations, volunteers and charities can play in helping people rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.
In this interview, Francesca reflects on the importance of storytelling, community connection and solidarity during Refugee Week, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing organisations working in the sector today.
Why is this an issue that matters personally to you?
Human beings, and populations as a whole, have always moved around, always sought places in which to grow and live: something that requires courage, energy and a willingness to embrace change. Today, people are driven to flee countries where it is impossible to ensure a decent standard of living and a secure life for themselves and their families, due to conflicts, environmental disasters and economic crises. It is an issue that touches me personally because my privilege of having been born in countries that promote rights and democracy – and yet then erect walls or pass laws to turn people away at their borders – clashes daily with the reality faced by young people, women and men who are denied or unable to obtain visas or documents, or freedom of movement.
You volunteer with Sant'Egidio. How did you first become involved with the organisation?
I had known about Sant’Egidio for some time, but I first came into contact with the organisation in connection with the humanitarian corridors to Afghanistan in 2021, when the Americans decided to withdraw from the country. Together with a group of friends, we helped to bring a number of families to Italy via Pakistan and to support them once they arrived.
Can you tell us a little about the work you do as a volunteer and the people you support?
Following my experience with the family who arrived in Italy – helping them with their paperwork, finding accommodation, enrolling the children in school, introducing them to local society and the world of work, and so on – I moved on to the Milan office. I learnt of the need to support young men and women who had arrived from Afghanistan and Iran via humanitarian corridors and had been awarded scholarships to study at universities in Milan and across Europe. Supporting them on these academic journeys, in collaboration with volunteers from the Milan office, was a lesson for me and an example of great courage and determination: all these young people – Najibeh, Ghulam Abbas, Qudrat – managed to achieve excellent results, graduate and embark on professional careers, despite having family members, friends and relatives who were still unable to leave their countries of origin, where they faced severe restrictions on personal freedom and movement.
Is there a particular experience or encounter that has stayed with you and shaped your understanding of refugee issues?
Certainly, having worked as a consultant for two organisations running projects to support migrants: CIAI, which since 2017 has devised and run projects to support migrant young people arriving in Palermo as they work towards independence, and to support women who are victims of trafficking; and Resq, one of Italy’s rescue organisations in the Mediterrenean.
From a fundraising perspective, what are some of the biggest challenges organisations face when raising support for refugee programmes?
Times are changing, and organisations must, above all, contend with diverse contexts and economic crises; the rise of nationalist movements worldwide is fuelling a great deal of mistrust and resistance towards projects that help migrants, who are identified as the very politicians or governments they are fleeing from.
How can charities communicate refugee issues in a way that inspires action while maintaining dignity and respect?
It is certainly an important issue because, from my point of view, there is a tendency to ‘treat as a child’ the figure of the refugee, viewing them with pity or, conversely, as merely vulnerable individuals. The opposite, refugees are people who embody the most exemplary forms of courage. That is why, in my view, communication should focus much more on who refugees are and what they represent, rather than concentrating solely on what they ought to be or on their countries of origin. Stories and testimonies that inspire action precisely because they are true encourage us to empathise with them.
Have you seen any particularly effective fundraising or engagement campaigns that have resonated with supporters?
At the moment, I really like the SOS Méd campaign, I find it emotional, effective and conveys with dignity the hardships experienced by migrants.
Back to my work, I conceived and produced a pro bono podcast mini-series for Sant’Egidio entitled Miracoli a Milano (Miracles in Milan), to have the opportunity to tell the simple stories of people who have managed to save themselves, whether through human corridors or on extremely long journeys such as the Balkan route: men and women just like us who simply want to be able to live a good life with their families, just like all of us.
What opportunities does Refugee Week create for charities, communities and supporters?
It is undoubtedly a time to inform, educate, raise awareness and ask people which side they want to be on. It is also a powerful political message, as I said earlier. Sant’Egidio in Milan has organised a wonderful celebration to mark the occasion at a centre called ‘Living Together’: it is attended by elderly people, children, young people and migrants, who have in turn become volunteers. It is an example of how we can live together, helping and supporting one another.
How can organisations ensure that refugee voices remain at the centre of their campaigns and activities?
Having the chance to listen to and get to know these people up close really changes your perspective. In my view, the charities working in this field should, as far as possible, not only seek to tell real stories but also involve the migrants themselves in initiatives and activities. Furthermore, the organisation of campaigns, press office activities and advocacy work should be guaranteed throughout the year
What gives you hope when you think about the future for refugees and people seeking sanctuary?
Young people and children represent the future generations of global citizens: the world they envisage is undoubtedly a source of hope.
If there was one thing you would like readers to take away from Refugee Week this year, what would it be?
The desire to learn about and listen to the stories of men and women who, even in Europe, often feel torn because they have left part of their family behind in their countries of origin. And yet they manage to carry on with their lives.