There is a common thread that unites the experiences of all those who choose to devote their time and passion to the mission of ASCS: it is the desire to ignite a light, a “spark of dreams.”

What motivates a person to devote his or her life to hospitality?

For Davide Pignata, ASCS operator, it all started with a spark. It was 2016, his first “Io Ci Sto” Camp. From that moment, something inside him was ignited and has never been extinguished.

Since then, David has not stopped. He has crossed continents, from Bolivia to the borders of Europe, bringing with him a dream: to build spaces where anyone can feel at home. Today he tells us his story and how the ASCS family is helping him turn this dream into reality, one step at a time.

Traveling for a dream: from the Andes to European borders.

As he recounts in his video, Davide’s story in ASCS began in 2016 with a service camp, and it has not stopped since. A succession of experiences has taken him to different places around the world, including Bolivia, until focusing in the last three years on the Borders project on the borders of the European Union.

Davide is a direct witness to the challenges faced in these border areas. In emblematic places like Trieste, Calais and Ceuta, the key words are welcome and solidarity, especially where situations of rejection and marginality are encountered.

“Being part of the ASCS family has certainly helped me in trying to achieve this dream together, particularly in border contexts … where there have been attempts to create welcoming contexts where instead there are normally situations of rejection.

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ASCS’s action, therefore, focuses precisely on creating bridges where there are walls, offering spaces where humanity and closeness can prevail.

The future is shared space and widespread solidarity

But what exactly is the dream that drives David? It is the vision of a society capable of welcoming and sharing, in every corner of the world.

“My dream for the future is to contribute to the creation of shared spaces of solidarity where there is space for everyone and everyone and, above all, in contexts of marginality.

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Achieving this goal is, as Davide himself admits, a very difficult process. It is not a goal achieved, but a journey made up of small but powerful steps. The idea is precisely to “try to create these small expressions of solidarity” to initiate transformative processes within the local community.

This vision of a welcoming environment is not limited to a single place, but is a model of living in which community becomes the primary site of transformation. The sparks of dreams lit so far remind us that welcoming, in all its forms and the ability to create shared and safe spaces, is the key to a more supportive world.

David’s spark continues to shine. And she is not alone: she joins those of so many others who, like him, have chosen not to look the other way. Every gesture of welcome, every shared space, every hand stretched across a border is a small light that lights up.

And it is from these sparks that the strength of ASCS is born: people who build, day after day, places where no one is a stranger. Because a home that welcomes changes the world.