Our history

On November 15th, at the initiative of the Lombard-Venetian Province of the Camillian religious order, Fondazione PRO.SA onlus was established in Milan. On March 1^st, PRO.SA was enrolled in the Register for Legal Personalities (n. 225) by the Prefecture of Milan. PRO.SA later decided to become an editor and the first issue of its quarterly magazine, PROseguire, was published in July.

High profile at a national level thanks to Mediafriends Onlus that, with the media event “Fabbrica del Sorriso”, supported one of PRO.SA’s projects to help orphan children affected by AIDS, welcomed at the Camillian Social Center of Rayong in Thailand. PRO.SA also responded to the tsunami emergency in Thailand and India, sending food and health aid and promoting long-term reconstruction and development programs.

PRO.SA was recognised as Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
PRO.SA joined two federations: NGOs Association of Lombardy (CoLomba) and Italian NGOs. Besides, it partnered with Mosaico for the accreditation to the National Civilian Service.

For two consecutive years, thanks to the free collaboration of nationally renowned comedians, “Vinci con il Cuore” event was organised to celebrate AIDS World Day. After an attentive and rigorous verification process, PRO.SA qualified as associate member of the Italian Institute of Donation - Istituto Italiano della Donazione (IID).

Three great natural catastrophes characterised 2010: the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and the floods in Pakistan. At the time PRO.SA was engaged in three humanitarian actions. On November 15^th, 2011, PRO.SA turned 10 and a television spot was made with the journalist Mimmo Lombezzi as ambassador. Following the great famine in the Horn of Africa, PRO.SA Foundation, together with the Camillian Task Force, carried out emergency, reconstruction and development programs for Somali people taking refuge in Kenya.

Fundraising campaign via solidarity SMS to support rehabilitation and development projects in the Horn of Africa. Mediafriends Onlus, selling the album of the TV show “IO CANTO”, supported the project “Clean water, a right for all” implemented in Jhang Sadar villages in Pakistan.
Once again PRO.SA - together with the Philippine Camillian Task Force - responded to a humanitarian emergency promoting emergency, rehabilitation, and development interventions next to the people from Samar Island, in the Philippines, severely hit by Haiyan typhoon. Mediafriends Onlus also dedicated the Christmas book “Le strade del sorriso”, published by Mondadori, to the “Camillian Home”, another PRO.SA’s project in Thailand.
PRO.SA was present in Sierra Leone with healthcare projects for the victims of the Ebola outbreak.

PRO.SA Foundation was in Nepal to help vulnerable people after the earthquake. From the first aid to the post-emergency phase, PRO.SA stepped in with reconstruction and development actions to grant access to clean water in schools and small villages.
The Foundation particularly focused on Haiti to support people affected by the hurricane Matthew through the reconstruction of a school and the participation of a rehabilitation project next to CADIS and Italian Charitable Foundation (Caritas).

PRO.SA participated as leader in the call launched by AICS. The two-year project, which included the reinforcement of the local assets, the reception, and the social integration of vulnerable minors in Haiti, was approved and developed with the partners CISV and FADV.

In this year marked by the Pandemic, PRO.SA was engaged in Covid Emergency in 17 Countries: 7 in Africa, 4 in Asia and Latin America and 1 in North Africa, with a limited intervention in Italy as well.

PRO.SA kept fighting against Covid Emergency in 9 Countries and after the earthquake that hit Haiti on August 14th, 2021, it started the fundraising campaign “A hand for Haiti” that supported the rebuilding of a school and eights small houses for displaced families around Aquin, in the South of the country.

The Ukraine Emergency characterized this year during which PRO.SA supported the Charitable Foundation of Ternopil to help refugees. At the same time PRO.SA intervened with nutritional programs in countries, like those of the Sub-Saharan Africa, where a sharp increase in food prices and the drought made entire populations starve. The socio-educational engagement of the Foundation continued in Haiti, a country more and more plagued by violence.