"Have I integrated? I would definitely say yes. So much that I will soon be marrying a Sicilian girl," said Abdoulaye, 35, from Senegal. Smiling. In his eyes is the unique type of joy of those who have experienced a great deal: poverty, abuse, and violence.

After arriving on Sicily in 2015 on board one of the many boats carrying migrants in ever more dangerous conditions across the Mediterranean, now he works as a driver in the social cooperative Il Quadrifoglio in Santa Margherita di Belice in the Agrigento province.

Born 35 years ago, he now assists 170 people including immigrants, unaccompanied minors of foreign origins, women who have been subjected to abuse, and the psychologically impaired.

Cooperative part of child adoption network

There are about a hundred employees including educationalists, social workers, psychologists, and cultural mediators.

After arriving in Italy, Abdoulaye and his travel companions were taken on by Italy's immigrant reception service (SAI), which at the time was known as SPRAR.

Afterwards, he had the chance to remain in the cooperative as an employee. "Here I found a family. I could not have asked for anything better," he said.

This is one of the many stories of hope around this cooperative, which now serves as a model for integration and which provides assistance -- through three housing communities -- to unaccompanied foreign minors as well as many women who have been subjected to abuse.

Among them is the mother of two small children who must remain anonymous due to risks to her safety. In recent months she fled her violent husband and the country she is from in eastern Europe, managing to bring her children with her.

"On arrival in Italy, I didn't have any money," she said.

"Initially I was helped by Caritas volunteers. They were the ones who put me in contact with the cooperative. Since I arrived here, I have left the past behind me. The people working in this cooperative enabled me to start over, and it is only now that I think I will be able to give my children a better future."

Children are the most fragile of those assisted by the cooperative.

"We are also part of the child adoption network," said Dina Barone, founder and president of the cooperative. "In line with instructions from the family court, we periodically entrust the children to different families. In 80% of the cases, these foster families later adopt the child."

Stories of suffering from eastern Europe and Africa

Among those hosted by the facility are some Ukrainian nationals who were forced to flee from their country after Russian attacks.

Among them is Alona, who is working at a nursery school in the cooperative.

"This is what I used to do in my own country. Here I can continue to do a job that I love because I like spending time with children," she said. She is also looking towards the future.

"I am fine but I hope to return to Ukraine. My husband is fighting and I am always worried about receiving bad news. Sooner or later I hope to reunite with him, though I do not know when this absurd war will end."

"This cooperative is a true model of integration, as shown by the participation of the entire local community in recent demonstrations for World Refugee Day," said Margi Giambalvo, administrative chief of the social services sector of the Santa Margherita di Belice municipality.

"Now there are 55 people hosted in the migrant assistance service. The interior ministry gets us involved in reception projects for those fleeing wars and persecution," she said.

Among the many stories is that of Malike, 27, from Gambia and in Santa Margherita since 2015.

She recounted that she had "crossed the desert. In Libya I was put in prison and subjected to all sorts of violence. My jailers wanted my family to send money before they would release me.Then I managed to get on a boat. It was hard but today I am also working here as a cultural mediator. I speak seven languages."

Meanwhile, Abdoulaye is getting ready for his wedding. "I am a Muslim but the wedding will be using Catholic rites.This is not importance for me. I think that the most important thing is love," he said. Massimo D'Antoni