On May 25, 2017, Rosa Brambilla, founder of Obras Educativas Rosetta, was awarded the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Italian Republic.
The decoration was presented by Antonio Bernardini, then Ambassador of Italy to Brazil, in recognition of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to promoting friendship and cooperation between Italy and other countries.
This honor celebrates a lifetime of dedication to education, social development, and the building of lasting bonds of friendship that gave rise to—and continue to sustain—the work of Obras Educativas in Belo Horizonte.
In her acceptance speech, Rosa reflected on the 50 years she had spent in Brazil, sharing that her journey began with a simple "yes" to an encounter that transformed her life. She also recalled the early days of the work in the Boa União community, the opening of the first daycare center, and the importance of welcoming each child as a unique individual.
Reflecting on the meaning of the award, Rosa affirmed that friendship is the force that builds relationships, brings people together, and transforms lives.
Below, we are pleased to share the full text of the remarks Rosa delivered during the ceremony—a heartfelt testimony of gratitude, service, and commitment to education and human dignity.
Belo Horizonte 25/05/2017
“This year marks 50 years since I first arrived in Brazil.
It certainly wasn’t my own plan that brought me here. In fact, I would never have imagined embarking on a mission or staying to contribute to the lives of so many through the Obras Educativas that emerged in Belo Horizonte.
Looking back on my story, it all began with a simple “yes” to an extraordinary encounter that took place in my life: my encounter with Dom Giussani, who looked at me in a new way, giving my life a broad perspective that embraced everything I was.
Reflecting on my journey, I’m amazed by all that has unfolded, including my nomination for this honour. I feel it is disproportionate to who I am, yet it was simply by obeying what reality presented to me that everything became possible.
Back in 1978, Father Pigi and I built a small multipurpose shed in the Boa União favela that served as a clinic, pharmacy, chapel and storage room. Women would come there to get medicine, but above all, to have the chance to talk to someone. As I spoke with them, I realised how much they needed a safe place where they could leave their children while they went to work.
I took their needs as my own in my relationship with these mothers, and this motivated me to seek out friends who could help me.
A woman named Dona Etelvina gave me a plot of land in front of her house, and that’s where we started recieving the children — a place with no walls and very few resources. The first daycare centre was then established, and everything that exists today grew out of that.
Although I had no educational qualifications, I was certain that each child should be welcomed as if they were the most special in the world — because they are all unique. I used to say this to everyone — teachers, cooks and cleaning staff — because each person educates others through who they are and what they do.
In the beginning, the signs that defined my path were suggested by the reality I faced each day, and I always tackled them with the help of others.
It was never a smooth journey. Last year, we had to endure the exhaustion and pain of closing programmes for 300 teenagers due to a lack of financial resources.
The tribute I’m receiving today highlights the bonds of friendship between Italy and other countries. It is beautiful to name an award after the word 'friendship'. Deep down, friendship is the most beautiful thing that exists between people. Though we may not believe it, it truly is the most beautiful thing that can exist among the multitude of people that make up the nations of the world.
Friendship has the power to change the world.
I say this because I have experienced it myself, and over the years I have always tried to share the friendship that shaped me. It is a friendship between people who cherish the profound desire in everyone's heart to aspire to true happiness. Friendship is the truest bond that can exist among people of every country, race or religion, all united by this desire. It builds relationships, and these relationships create a desire to build something beautiful together in the places where we live. These places then become experiences and examples that can gradually change the face of the earth and our nations.
Thank you for this recognition, which I do not deserve. I believe that I am more than just my work, and more than just the works I have created with the help of so many others. There is something more that I did not create with my own hands: a gratitude to God, who gave me this gift and this openness to this calling. This is not my merit, but His alone. Recognising that we are merely instruments in the hands of another frees us from the burden of unfulfilled aspirations and the desire to control every outcome.
Everything we do contains an element of undeservedness because everything within us has been given to us by another. For this reason, I would like to express my gratitude to the Italian state for always being attentive to its compatriots working around the world. Knowing that one's homeland is always close by and attentive is undoubtedly a comfort and an honour. It also fosters awareness of the many situations of need around the world, encouraging the hearts, minds and skills of people of goodwill to contribute to the development of peoples and nations.
Thank you once again for the attention you have shown us around the world!”
Rosa Brambilla
