Project Recreate Yourself: in the outskirts of Rome to give back the space and time of childhood to our children

Support families and minors (4-17 years) in managing the educational, social and economic emergency by resuming educational activities after a year of isolation. Foster the inclusive knowledge of each other and the sense of collectivity created by being together and taking care of one’s own neighborhood. With these objectives the Patrizio Paoletti Foundation and the New Life for Children NGO are realizing the project “Recreate Yourself”, starting from June 21 to September 5, in the outskirts of Rome (Municipality VI, which has sponsored the initiative).

In a space that only some time ago was completely abandoned, today, in the public, terraced areas of Via dell’Archeologia 2, in the neighborhood of Tor Bella Monaca, there is a center of aggregation and a reference point for children, adolescents and families. The project offers free socio-educational activities Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (15:30-18:30) in order to restore healthy moments of socialization and spaces for listening, and also to manage the consequences of the pandemic on the youngest part of the population.

Thanks to the educational workshops, but also the psychological advice, the families and citizens have found a new point of reference for living in their neighborhood and strengthening human relationships. The Municipality VI of Rome is known for its high rate of crime and youth unemployment, cash in hand work, high level of social hardship and low per capita income. Tor Bella Monaca, especially, is amongst the neighborhoods with the highest social hardship index amongst those with public housing. In 2020, with the Covid-19 emergency, 553 new referrals of minors were taken on by the social services and 320 families on court mandated referrals (Socio-Educational Direction-21). Reports submitted by the school for suspensions grew exponentially due to Covid-19. The long periods of quarantine produced forced isolation and compulsory cohabitation, often in cramped conditions, which resulted in an enormous psychological cost for the most fragile families (in conditions of economic/educational poverty) and above all for minors.

In this context, we work to help children and young people to recreate themselves, to become what they wish for, discover their talents and boost their motivation to cultivate them. The space that is available to them allows them first of all to experience themselves as they are, as they can and as they want to be, in the joy of being children fully and freely. The professionals offer the highest quality of attention to the children present every day, working to help them understand, recognize, name and express their emotions with awareness. Restoring the space and time to live their childhood is the first step for them to feel capable and free themselves from the limiting convictions accrued by their complex everyday lives.

Children, adolescents and parents can access the project when their life conditions allow them to. This project represents a space, a security, a certain presence and a point of reference that welcomes everyone and is created to give each person back the space to exist beyond prejudice and difficulty.

ACTIVITIES:

Educational workshops – Realization of group workshops in the terraced, public space in Via dell’Archeologia, 2, three times a week four hours long, with children and young people from 6 to 17 years old. In the workshops we carry out individual and group work that aims to positively strengthen the individual and their social network, creating a new narration of one’s own life story through expression and corresponding emotions, highlighting competencies and talents.

Psychological Listening – during the workshops a psychologist is available to the local residents, young people and adults, who can work on prevention, interventions, promotion of mental health and psychological support, in order to improve the individual, family and community sphere of the people. The psychologist conducts the workshops together with the team and takes care of the people that manifest needs of being listened to or receive advice.