"My message for those who work for Argentina is to be united and keep fighting, because our country needs them", says Mirian.
Mirian Ana Mansilla was born in Santa Fe, but now lives in Italy. She is 51 years old, and has lived in Italy for 23 years. She is a housewife. The work of Mirian as a Social Ambassador began as a way to help children in Garín who experienced difficult times after the crisis of 2001-2002. It was impossible for her to see the situation in Argentina without doing anything to help. As such, she began, in collaboration with her mother, to support a soup kitchen for underprivileged youth in Garín, where her mother lives. At the beginning, she solely sent her own money. Later however, she began to create cultural events to raise funds, which she uses to support her undertakings. The first milestone of this work was the Tango Festival that took place in Ferrara in 2003 to raise funds for the children in Garín.
From there, her work grew until she created the organization Mateando onlus with the designation of a non-profit corporation and entry into the registry of the Argentine General Consulate in Milan, as an Italian association that works in favor of Argentina. Mirian was definitely the guiding force behind this undertaking. Her strong relationship with the cause, in spite of the distance, is so contagious that people all over the world who hear about Mateando fall in love with her work and look for ways to help her.
Thanks to her work, in addition to eating in the soup kitchen, the children receive academic support and get the chance to do recreational activities. Many of the Mateando volunteers in Garín are the mothers of the children, and help out in the kitchen and the general management of the center. In the ceremony, Mirian was very well represented by her mother, who also collaborates personally in the soup kitchen. Mirian says the difference she hopes to make is "...a better future, because children are the future" and her message for those who work for Argentina is "...to be united and keep fighting, because our country needs them".
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