The informal settlement of Borgo Mezzanone, located just a few kilometres from Foggia, has over time evolved into a resilient community despite its precarious conditions and lack of essential services. The former airstrips of a military airport now host small businesses and a network of mutual support, while INTERSOS provides healthcare and assistance to those in need. A place born from waiting, which today endures and grows.
Rashid* comes from Afghanistan and spends several months each year in Borgo Mezzanone. A former soldier for thirteen years, he speaks ten languages, including Italian, English, Russian, and Spanish. His family lives in Sweden – his wife and four children, whose photos he proudly shares. Despite the distance, Rashid has managed to establish something meaningful here. He has set up a small grocery shop and a catering business, entrusting the daily management to young people from the settlement whom he trusts. He pays them €1,000 per month, providing them with stable employment in a place where work is often seasonal and precarious.
Emmanuel*, on the other hand, has lived in Borgo Mezzanone since 2007. Originally from Togo, he spent years working in the fields, harvesting tomatoes and seasonal vegetables. Over time, the physical toll became too great, and he was forced to reinvent himself. In 2016, he opened the first restaurant in the settlement, transforming his home into a gathering place. In the evenings, he sets up tables outside, where anyone can stop to enjoy his food or listen to music.
Situated in the agricultural heart of Capitanata, Borgo Mezzanone is just over twenty minutes from Foggia. Originally intended as a temporary stop, it has gradually transformed into a genuine community. Here, among the remnants of a military airstrip, streets are now filled with people, businesses, and intertwined lives.
Necessity has driven many to create opportunities: clothing and shoe stalls, small supermarkets, hair salons, mechanics. A thriving, albeit informal, local economy has emerged – one where people support each other, fostering a network of mutual aid. Walking through the settlement, one gets the impression of a miniature city. The former airstrips serve as the main arteries, constantly bustling with activity, while the inner areas house makeshift dwellings, where life follows a quieter rhythm.
Borgo Mezzanone remains a complex place, where instability and the absence of basic services coexist with resilience and reinvention. Electricity is unreliable, living conditions are often challenging, yet the people here have found ways to transform a place born from waiting into a vibrant and enduring reality. A city not created by choice, but one that today exists, resists, and grows – day after day.
Since 2018, INTERSOS’ mobile clinic has been a vital point of reference for the residents of the settlement, providing medical care and socio-health guidance, helping to ensure equitable access to healthcare and improving the living conditions of those who call Borgo Mezzanone home.
*Fictitious names have been used to protect the identities of the individuals