Sardinian Roots and Exile: A Family's Story Across Generations

In Tuili, a small Sardinian village 60 km from Cagliari, Mario Moï grew up in a barter economy where his father exchanged shoes for lambs, cheese, or wheat. Gabriella Moï recalls her childhood in Cagliari during WWII bombings. They met in a hair salon and married despite parental opposition. In 1962, they emigrated to Geneva, Switzerland. Mario, a talented hairdresser, opened a renowned salon in Grand-Lancy; he learned French by listening to the radio nightly. Gabriella learned French at the market through gestures. They refused Swiss naturalization out of loyalty to their Italian roots. Their granddaughters, Jeanne and Marie Moï-Virchaux, born in Geneva but raised in Africa, find inspiration in this family history. Gabriella sees in one of them, involved in Black Lives Matter protests, a familiar determination.