Some experiences do not end when you return home. They continue to unfold—quietly shaping the way you see the world, the choices you make, and the life you build.
For Davide and Giorgia, a young couple from the province of Belluno in northern Italy, this has proven true following their participation in VOICA’s international volunteering programme.
“After our preparation in Brescia, we travelled to Ariwara in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with VOICA in 2024.”
What began as a period of service soon became something far deeper. In Ariwara, they encountered not only need, but people—faces, stories, and relationships that left a lasting imprint.
“It was an unforgettable experience in so many ways—the people we met, the help we were able to offer, the smiles, the faces… something that truly marked our hearts.”
Their words reflect a reality familiar to many volunteers: that the most meaningful dimension of service is not what one gives, but what one receives through encounter. It is in this mutual exchange that perspectives shift and something lasting begins to take root.
And indeed, that experience did not remain confined to a single moment. It became part of their shared journey.
“We’re getting married this June, and from the very beginning we felt a desire to once again undertake a journey for others.”
For Davide and Giorgia, love is not something to be kept, but something to be given. Their forthcoming marriage is not only a personal milestone, but an opportunity to renew a commitment—to place their relationship at the service of something greater.
“We truly hope to discover a new place where we can offer our newly married love…”
Their hope is to return to a context where the essentials come into focus, where everyday comforts fall away, and space is made for genuine human connection.
“…a place where our habits and daily comforts are set aside in favour of others.”
It is precisely in this shift—away from oneself and towards the other—that a deeper truth emerges: the value of presence, of relationship, of shared humanity.
“And it is there that we discover God’s smile and His immeasurably generous love.”
Their story speaks, with quiet clarity, of how international volunteering can become more than an experience. It becomes a path—one that continues to shape how we love, how we choose, and how we live.
A love that grows by opening itself to others.
A love that becomes a gift.
