From fleeing Cameroon to becoming an intern at the Palace of Justice, then university: the Fotso miracle

The long journey on foot from Cameroon, crossing Africa for months until he reached the Italian coast, brought him to the province of Foggia about two years ago. It was here that Fotso Kouogang, now 30, began to rebuild his future.

In his home country, which he was forced to leave due to political tensions and security concerns, he had obtained a degree in Accounting and Financial Management. In Puglia, his first job was as a dishwasher. Within two years, however, his life had changed. “From dishwasher to trainee at the Courthouse, and now from the Courthouse to university. For me, all this is a miracle and the start of a new life,” says Fotso today, bidding farewell to his colleagues at the Foggia Public Prosecutor’s Office, who, at the end of his internship, organised a party for him to mark a new beginning: his first day as a university student in Bari.

In Puglia, Fotso was one of the beneficiaries of the SAI (Reception and Integration System) ‘Free entry’ in Candela, the town in the Monti Dauni where he is on a journey of reception, training and inclusion, taking part in Italian language literacy courses, various activities on offer and social events. Thanks to this initiative, run in collaboration with the social cooperative Medtraining – the organisation managing several SAI projects – he undertook a training placement at the judicial offices in Foggia.

Having completed this journey, he decided to embark on a new one: as of this morning, he is at the University of Bari, having enrolled on the degree course in Economics and Business Management. This decision was also shaped by the journey of social inclusion he has undertaken. Going from office to office, handling files and documents, has helped him build contacts, relationships, a sense of community and a sense of belonging to the Italian state.

“It’s been a wonderful experience for me. This Courthouse has given me the strength to dream again,” said the 30-year-old, his voice breaking. “After all the difficulties I’ve faced in my life, especially after graduating, I’d almost lost everything and had stopped dreaming. I arrived here with despair in my heart, thinking of giving up on everything. But this place has restored my confidence and the desire to dream of what I had lost four years ago.”
Prosecutor Enrico Infante was also there to bid him farewell. “These are stories of success and social integration. They are important milestones in the lives of those, like Fotso, who are trying to integrate into our society. The Foggia Public Prosecutor’s Office,” said the prosecutor, “has worked harder and more effectively with this resource. A story that shows that, even in the difficult field of immigration management, there is also much that is positive and stories with a happy ending.”