Gianluca Chiarenza (this text is in English only)
www.aksaicultura.net
In recent years, thanks to Eni, I have had the opportunity of working abroad and getting to know different cultures and languages.
A series of fortunate circumstances resulted in the setting up of a school for the teaching of Italian which was given the name AKSAICULTURA. The name derives from Aksai in Kazakhstan, at the Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO) where I worked from July 2000 to December 2003.
During my leisure time I took up painting. And quite soon we organised an exhibition and the money raised from the sale of the paintings was donated to poor children in Uralsk. It was from this experience that the idea of opening a cultural centre grew. We had everything we needed, given that all that was necessary was sponsored by Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V., and soon the evenings began to be full of engagements.
Also local students and workers showed an interest in learning Italian. We began with a quite small number of students, but word of mouth quickly led to an increase and, thanks to support from Italian colleagues at Eni and other companies, we soon also saw an increase in the number of volunteer teachers.
I also fondly remember the many colleagues who, while not teaching, helped us in so many ways. They would surprise us by coming to the school with trays of hot, tasty little pizzas which helped to lighten the long, dark and cold nights in the classroom.
Our aims were always clear and I enjoyed discussing them with the students and watching them daydream. I talked of many classrooms and lots of teachers, of different levels and exams of admission, I would often say that we would have computers and create our own web site, to which any of us could contribute and through which they could communicate and exchange ideas with people in other countries.
I remember the astonishment in their faces and I'm sure they thought: "But what on earth is Gianluca saying?" One thing I was sure of was the motto "IF YOU CAN DREAM, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE" and that with my determination I would achieve what I set out to do.
Bit by bit, other aims were achieved over the years: computers in the classrooms, a rich library with numerous books given by friends, acquaintances, supporters, Italian schools, colleagues and the relatives of Italian expatriates. The major goal achieved so far has been undoubtedly the granting of 17 internships to be spent in Italy.
Thanks to articles that appeared in Corriere della Sera, in the Cittadino di Lodi, in the report of the Italy/Kazakhstan Association, on KPO/news and in the newspaper Kazako Altin Orda, we suddenly became quite famous around the world, from America to Europe and from Asia to Africa.
Aksaicultura was on everyone's lips and in everyone's hearts.
(Gianluca Chiarenza)
