Yosief was a 47-year-old Eritrean man, a refugee in Uganda, where he had been living for several years. He was a software developer and IT specialist, thanks to the determination and skills with which he had continued his studies in Uganda.

In August 2024, together with 21 colleagues, he began a training program through the ReadyForIT project, with the goal of working in Italy as an IT professional through the labor corridors scheme. Since February 2025, he had been supported by a Refugees Welcome Italia mentor who, week after week, helped him practice the Italian language. For him, these meetings were not only a learning opportunity but also a first friendly face and a human bond waiting for him here.

Over the past months, even from a distance, we came to know him and recognized in him a quiet strength and a profound sense of responsibility. For the past two years, he had been living in Uganda after fleeing Sudan. For months, he had been waiting for a visa to reach Italy, where the company OverIT was ready to welcome him with a job contract as a Java developer. For him, this was not only a professional opportunity but the chance for a true new beginning.

But the visa did not arrive in time.

On August 24, 2025, Yosief passed away, with so many dreams still in his pocket: dreams of stability, dignity, and finally building a future after years of uncertainty. He had waited nine months to be able to travel to Italy, but tragically, his plans shattered just one step away from the finish line.

He now leaves behind, in Uganda, his 34-year-old brother Henok, who depended on him, and a family in Eritrea who wish to give him a dignified burial in his homeland. The cost for the repatriation of his body and funeral expenses amounts to at least 4,000 US dollars.

The ReadyForIT project was created by Fondazione Italiana Accenture ETS and is led by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with the Foundation itself, Diaconia Valdese, Talent Beyond Boundaries, Pathways International, the International Trade Centre (ITC – UN/WTO technical agency) and the Unione Industriali Torino, with the support of Reale Foundation and Fondazione Conad ETS, and thanks to the contribution of ACRI – Associazione di Fondazioni e di Casse di Risparmio Spa, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, The Human Safety Net, in collaboration with Develhope, Refactory Uganda and Finn Church Aid.

Thank you for reading this message. We invite you to consider making a donation and sharing the campaign with friends and colleagues. Let’s not leave Yosief and his brother Henok alone.