This is not only solidarity: it is the will of a young man to do something good and useful for others. As his was a story of redemption and conquests, the gesture he made has also become significant. Symbolic and important enough to be worth the appointment of Knight of the Republic by President Sergio Mattarella. It’s the story of the Mahmoud rider, 35 years old, born in Lebanon, who lives in Italy earning a thousand euros a month. But he spent half of it buying masks for those who needed them. And while in Italy we are all grappling with the new Phase and trying to rebuild our daily lives, these examples of life take us back a few weeks. So that we do not forget what we have gone through, and serve as a stimulus to be stronger.
The story of the Mahmoud rider, a significant experience
Mahmoud Lufti Ghuniem was honored by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella with the honor of Knight of the Republic. The choice fell on him, together with 56 other people, because they did something significant in Italy during the emergency period due to Covid 19. He lives and works in Turin, he earns little but that little was enough to do something . One day he went to the Red Cross to donate a thousand masks he had bought. “I spent 500 euros to buy the masks – he told to Open newspaper. I wanted to do something for my country, for Italy that welcomed me with open arms when I arrived in 2012, even if I still haven’t obtained citizenship.” That Italy that considers his family, his home.
A gesture of solidarity: the history of the Mahmoud rider is an example
His bond with Italy is strong, explained the 35-year-old. A country in which he felt welcomed and loved. There was no lack of difficult moments in the history of the Mahmoud rider. But now he has a dream he hopes to be able to soon realize. “I am happy that we have overcome this difficult period – he explained. I did my part, quarantined myself and started working from mid-May. Did I risk running out of money? Well, yes, but health is more important than work and money. “
He reached Italy a few years ago and has never stopped
Mahmoud arrived in Italy in 2012. For a time he lived in Brindisi, where unfortunately he says he was treated like a slave. He has done many jobs: the bricklayer, the tire repairer and the pizza maker. “In Brindisi, where I was a bricklayer – he revealed – my boss treated me like a slave, I couldn’t do anything. I could not go on like this. I was tired of working with those who ordered me what to do and, above all, with those who demanded that I do more hours than my contract. And so thanks to a friend of mine, first I quit, then I arrived in Turin.”
Turin
The job of a rider in Turin but he dreams of being a nurse
Now Mahmoud is woking as a rider, making deliveries for a company that deals with gastronomy. But the dream of his life is another. “Going back to being a nurse, the job I was doing in my country – he added -. Of course, I know that it won’t be easy here since I should first complete high school and then enroll in university. But I will try, when possible, when I have the economic conditions to do it. ” And Mahmoud now Cavaliere della Repubblica also dreams of building a more solid life not only at a working level: buying a house in Italy and never leaving the country.”
Mahmoud’s example is similar to that of many other Italians who have not stopped before the emergency. They continued to work, with many difficulties, but also with determination. Small stories of great men who are good for our country.
