Imagine feeling sick and not having the words to say so.
This is the reality for many migrant women who have arrived in Italy: they carry with them trauma, loss, and the violence they endured along the way, as well as the struggle to rebuild their lives from scratch. But without a common language, even asking for help becomes impossible. Their pain remains locked inside, invisible.
Wasi (“home” in the Quechua language) is a project by ASCS—the Scalabrinian Agency for Development Cooperation—that breaks down that wall: a center offering free psychological support service for migrant women, operating in Milan and Rome, staffed by psychologists who are native speakers of Spanish, Arabic, Ukrainian, Russian, English, Portuguese, and Kurdish.
Because speaking in one’s own language isn’t just a minor detail—it’s the bridge that makes healing possible.
So far, we have supported 2,083 women coming from all over the world, with one-on-one counseling, parenting support, mutual-aid groups, and workshops. Each of them has found in Wasi what its name promises: a home.
On the occasion of the Milan Marathon, we’re running for them
This year, Wasi is taking to the streets: our runners will compete in the Milan Marathon to turn kilometers into hours of listening. Because the longest distances—a marathon, like a journey of rebirth—are conquered in the same way: one step at a time.
