honorable mention
Matteo Busetto italy
title
The convoy
accompanied to rendezvous points by the Moldovan authorities: they are mostly mothers with children and we realized that all they could take with them when they left their home was a few bags and the family's pets. On the long return journey Alisa, 8 years old, makes friends with Elisa, a doctor accompanying the convoy, and decides to prepare a "little" gift for her: the moment of handing over this gift is the memory of this journey that we will all carry with us forever.
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entry description
The journey of a humanitarian convoy in aid of Ukrainian people, departed from Italy in the direction of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border (2000 kilometers outward journey, 30hours non-stop with 3 ambulances and a coach), organized by a group of volunteers belonging to a local ambulance charity with the intention of making a small gesture to help war victims. The aim of the journey: to bring essential supplies to the Ukrainian population and to transport refugees fleeing the war to Italy. The outward journey encountered some difficulties, as a heavy snowfall in the Transylvanian Alps and a stop of several hours at the Romanian-Moldovan border due to bureaucratic problems. The convoy was then escorted not to the Ukrainian border, as planned, but to a refugee center in Chişinău: 500 beds set up in a indoor arena while waiting in anguish the wave of refugees expected to arrive in the following days, and over which the Moldovan flag towers even at night, always illuminated; but despite the great pride shown by its people, Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe and is totally unprepared to receive all incoming refugees. After some soldiers unloaded all the donations (which will be sorted to the various refugees points along the border) we start to board small groups of refugees,accompanied to rendezvous points by the Moldovan authorities: they are mostly mothers with children and we realized that all they could take with them when they left their home was a few bags and the family's pets. On the long return journey Alisa, 8 years old, makes friends with Elisa, a doctor accompanying the convoy, and decides to prepare a "little" gift for her: the moment of handing over this gift is the memory of this journey that we will all carry with us forever.
about the photographer
Medical doctor, working for the italian Emergency Medical Service and Helicopter Emergency Medical service. Discovering photography has awakened in me the dream of exploring people and the world.back to gallery