Diallo said he left behind a little sister and a grandmother in Ivory Coast, and plans to visit them for a month this summer before coming back to Italy. He said he eventually wants to bring his sister to Italy with him.
Speaking of the journey he took to get to Italy, Diallo said "I would not recommend to any of my friends in Africa to do this path."
Speaking of his decision to travel through Libya, Diallo said he did not want to go "because it's a country without a government. I entered Libya because I didn't have another choice."
"To all my friends in Africa I have said, that path is not good to take into Italy. If you don't have another possibility, stay in Africa."
However, Diallo said he was "surprised" by the welcome he received, and has gone on to accomplish things he did not think would be possible thanks the support he was given from the beginning of his arrival.
Tommaso, Diallo's Italian "little brother," told journalists that Korkiss "has taught a lot to our family, and I hope we have also taught something to him."
Raffaella, Diallo's Italian "mother," told CNA her family chose to accept Diallo into their home because of Pope Francis' call to welcome migrants. After hearing the pope's petition, she said she felt moved, so she talked it through with her family, and the agreed to take someone in.
Raffaella said she has tried to create a stable home environment, and to teach Diallo "the same thing I taught my children; respect for people, respect for the rules, how to be a good citizen."
Regarding the culture of fear and suspicion surrounding migrants, Raffaella said she has experienced this first-hand, especially after they first decided to welcome Diallo into their home.
However, she said the experience of her family has been wonderful, and they have no regrets about the decision to lend a hand to Diallo when he was in need.
She said part of the process has also meant learning how to accept and interact with other cultural and religious traditions. In Europe, "we are more individualistic," she said, whereas "in African culture they are much more communal," and often decisions are made together.
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In terms of religion, Raffaella said she has also learned to have greater respect for non-Catholics. Diallo is Muslim, so she said the family has had the opportunity to learn things about the Muslim religion they did not know before, and they have learned "to respect him … and his times of prayer."
In a message supporting the Caritas lunch, Pope Francis urged Catholics to participate in similar events organized throughout the world as part of the action week, such as meals or other activities, which he said raise awareness "on the global scale to support migrants and refugees."
"Today, I would like to invite everyone – migrants, refugees, Caritas workers and institutions – to grasp the features of this journey that have marked you the most: what hope does your journey lead to? Try to share this thought and celebrate what we have in common," he said.
Elise Harris was senior Rome correspondent for CNA from 2012 to 2018.