Over 100 young people working for the community: the new edition of the initiative

The initiative “Am I in? Affare fatica!” has started again this year in Albignasego, now in its fifth edition, which features 130 kids between the ages of 14 and 19 engaged in concrete activities of care and enhancement of the territory. The project, which started on June 23, will last for four weeks and involves 13 teams of 10 participants, each active for one week.

The municipal administration has once again chosen to focus on an initiative that combines active citizenship, civic engagement and work education. Mayor Filippo Giacinti states: «Experiencing hard work and responsibility is a precious opportunity for young people. Knowing the commitment required by work, collaborating with others and learning about trades from older people is an inestimable value. Teaching young people to take care of their community is the first step to making them aware and participating citizens». The teams, led by tutors and supported by handymen (expert craftsmen and senior volunteers) are at work in the parks, schools and three city cemeteries, where the young people are taking care of cleaning the avenues, arranging abandoned tombs and general maintenance. «A concrete and symbolic gesture - explains the councilor for Youth Policies Anna Franco - that brings young people closer to places that are normally far from their experience, transmitting a message of respect and care towards the collective memory of our community».

Among the ongoing activities: gardening, painting benches, gazebos, tables and railings, cleaning and painting school walls, restoring urban equipment and designing floor games and decorations in parks and along public avenues. Councilor Franco adds: «Each participant receives a “work voucher” of 50 euros per week, to be used in local shops, thus also supporting the local economy. It is a symbolic recognition that rewards commitment and strengthens the bond between young people and the fabric of the city». The administration has invested 20 thousand euros, to which 10 thousand euros are added for equipment, making possible a project that is as complex as it is concrete. The initiative is also supported by contributions from Fidas Padova - Albignasego section and Ipercity. Giacinti concludes: «The initiative has once again been a great success, with all the places quickly sold out. 'Am I in? Affare lavoro!' is much more than a summer activity: it is a real citizenship gym. Educating young people to care for the common good is essential to build a cohesive and responsible community. Seeing the enthusiasm and commitment of the kids, recognizable by their unmistakable red t-shirts, is a source of pride not only for the administration but for the entire city".