Social farming, the revenge of women

In the past, olive oil was used to soothe burns and wounds. That of the project Aspem (Social agriculture for the promotion of empowerment of women and single-parent families with minors) serves to soothe burns and wounds (especially those of the heart and soul) of women victims of violence. The project, born from the collaboration between the social cooperatives Kairos of Termoli and Be Free Molise (anti-violence centers of Campobasso, Isernia and Termoli and the refuge house of the capital), allowed the women followed by the two coop to become producers of Terra evo oil delle Donne, after a theoretical and practical training course.

“We had two abandoned olive groves under free management,” he says Nicola Malorni, president of the social co-op Kairos, «So it seemed to us a great opportunity to make women victims of violence and economic dependence independent. In addition to receiving psychotherapeutic support, legal and social advice, they started an experiential path to recover these olive groves and put them back into production. They also collected the olives, entrusted them to the mill and then took care of labeling, selling and promoting the oil. A social work placement, thanks to the course and the possibility of starting to produce oil. During the year they were contracted with a project contract ».

The first harvest (2019/20) was accompanied by the discovery of Fausto, the lucky olive tree, who survived a lightning bolt. Fausto immediately caught the attention of Eva, one of the women of the group who recognized herself in that torn tree with twisted branches, but still alive.

“Eva is the invented name of a woman who at about 30 decides to ask for help from a psychotherapist and does so when her relationship with her partner has already highlighted pathological aspects that could soon lead to a new history of violence” , explains Nicola Malorni, “Eva meets Livio at university and falls in love with his apparent shyness, his determination to reach important goals in the professional field, his attachment to the family, his rigor in completing projects that helps him quickly time to assume an important position in the company where he works. Eva seems to have found in Livio the affectionate, strong, courageous man who for a long time makes her feel safe. So one day they decide to live permanently together and to build a family. But it is precisely with living together that Livio begins to show his dark side. Start having feelings of jealousy which, combined with impulsive reactions of anger, frighten Eve. He then asks her to limit her sports activities, outings with friends, even phone calls with her friend from the university. He begins to devalue her with the clear intention of making her dependent on him. Eva has read about the social olive growing projects of the cooperative which, in Termoli, her country of origin, is dealing with women victims of violence. So he decides to ask for a consultation with the psychotherapist who conceived the projects and gave the name to the tree as if it were a person. He entrusts him with his panic attacks and delves into the story of Fausto, the lucky olive tree, the story of the lightning bolt and the new branches that miraculously arose from his traumatic history. Eva approaches volunteering, she begins to take care of others while she is also doing it with herself. He feels the desire to bring social olive growing to school and thus begins a new path. Panic attacks disappear after about a year of treatment. Today she is ready to leave again, like Fausto and like the women of Aspem ».

The story of Eva and Fausto has also been transposed into a short film directed by the director Simone D’Angelo.

The first five women of the initial project went out and emancipated themselves. Some have followed the promotion and sale of the oil, others have remained in Molise and today they work in catering with greater competence. One of them proved willing to follow new activities.

“Now we start again with other women included in the project”, concludes Nicola Malorni, “the olive groves to be managed have tripled and the theme of tourism promotion with the Vie dell’Olio is also gaining momentum, within the Città dell’Olio circuit. . A social farm is also being born in Fausto’s olive grove ».