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Save The Children, in Ostia young people take back (and clean up) the abandoned places

Gaia and Lara are 19 years old, they study medicine and computer science at the university and they arrived in Ostia from L’Aquila. With one goal: to give back to the city places of aggregation for boys and girls. «We are here to participate in the days of the Youth Movement Festival for Save the Children, because we believe that each of us can make a real difference. In our city, L’Aquila we are fighting to get back things that are ours by right such as schools for example or spaces for young people ».

The redevelopment of the courtyard of the Elsa Morante Library in Ostia

Francesco Alesi

In Ostia Gaia and Lara, together with 300 other boys and girls from all over Italy and a delegation from Albania, are involved in the four days of the event Impossible 2022 organized by Save The Children, in a series of “Lightning actions” aimed at redeveloping the territory and raising awareness among citizens on the need to listen to the voice of young people and provide spaces for their protagonism. We meet them in the courtyard of the Elsa Morante Library, a beautiful and precious space for the city and the community of Ostia but which is usually occupied illegally by cars that park and prevent the children of the area from being able to come and play here. “We are citizens of the world, we want to create spaces for young people everywhere”, explain Gaia and Lara.

The redevelopment of the courtyard of the Elsa Morante Library in Ostia

Francesco Alesi

The boys and girls of the Youth Movement for Save The Children arrived from many Italian cities from Milan to Crotone, Palermo and L’Aquila. “In recent years, boys and girls have been listened to too little on matters that directly affect them“, has explained Daniela Fatarella, director general of Save the Children. «It is necessary to make them protagonists and to promote new forms of participation that allow them to be involved in all the choices regarding their present and their future. It is with this spirit that we promoted the Festival, which was conceived and organized in collaboration with the Youth Movement ».

The redevelopment of the courtyard of the Elsa Morante Library in Ostia

Francesco Alesi

The Festival is included in the official calendar of theEuropean Year of Youthrealized with the contribution of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Department for youth policies and universal civil service and had as its central theme The space of ideas, the place of participation.The meeting, the exchange, the activism and the mobilization are a driving force for growth for the children and all of us, the world of adults, we can only benefit from looking at the world through their eyes, their energy and their proposals. Save the Children intends to listen and amplify their voice ».

One of the artistic workshops promoted within the two days of the Festival in Ostia

Francesco Alesi

During the two days of Ostia the Blitz! Active citizenship operations, 10 practical and artistic workshops ranging from storytelling to theater, photo editing and citizen journalism co-designed with local associations – Ostia Clean Up, LABirinti, Affabolazione, Cheiron, Assistance and Territory, Movimento Non Violento, Internazionale Kids, EDI, Santi Pietro and Paolo together with young volunteers and local activists. Along with numerous redevelopment, repainting and cleaning actions of vandalized buildings. “I came from Crotone to do my part”, says one of the guys busy preparing the paint for painting. “If we commit ourselves personally, our voice will be even stronger”.

Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you:

-Save The Children, the event Impossible 2022: “We do not refuse to save children”

– «A Night for the Impossible»: the guests of Save The Children’s solidarity evening

Source: Vanity Fair

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