Update From The Field: The Politruck

EMERGENCY’s mobile clinics in Italy, providing free healthcare and assistance in areas with a large migrant presence, such as agricultural areas, and camps for nomads or refugees.

It’s Friday afternoon when ‘Z’ approaches the “Politruck”, visibly limping. He’s just climbed down from the lorry that takes him and lots of other workers into the fields of Piana di Sibari (Calabria, Southern Italy) every morning to pick clementines. The alarm rings at 4 a.m. every day, whatever the weather. Z’s overalls and sneakers are covered in mud, so he’s embarrassed about coming into the clinic. We ask him what happened, and he tells us that at about 8 o’clock that morning he hurt his foot on some broken glass. He didn’t receive any immediate treatment, and just carried on working throughout the day so he wouldn’t lose his week’s pay.

His foot is clearly swollen. After a while, we finally manage to convince him to come inside. He gradually overcomes his shyness and tells us about himself. He lives in the makeshift camp that grew up in the town in early December; those who couldn’t find any other sort of accommodation built themselves a shelter with whatever materials they could find, in the countryside just outside the town. Plastic sheeting and cardboard erected directly on the ground, without any toilet facilities or electricity.

It’s the first time that ‘Z’ has come to Calabria for the clementine harvest. It’s also the first time he’s had to live in conditions like these; until not so long ago, he says, he had a home and worked in a factory in Alessandria, a city in Piedmont, Northern Italy.

After being treated, he’s ready to leave but he looks at the footprints he’s left on the floor: he’s still a bit ashamed, but in the end he raises his eyes and hesitantly smiles. He understands that what’s really important for us is himself.

EMERGENCY’s new mobile clinic, the Politruck, has been providing assistance for the immigrants harvesting clementines in Piana di Sibari (Calabria, Southern Italy) since the beginning of the season.