By Elodie Lipomi

“rEsistere a Scampia” (r-Existing in Scampia) is the beautiful slogan representing the Associazione Animazione Quartiere Scampia (AQuaS – Scampia Neighbourhood Animation Association): a slogan full of hope, goodness and the fight against social inequality. The story I’ve decided to tell you is about my work experience placement with this voluntary organization.

AQuaS is a social organization inspired by the work of a Jesuit priest, Alberto Hurtado. It is based in Scampia, in a centre that bears his name, the Hurtado Centre.

Scampia is a neighbourhood in the northern suburbs of Naples in the Campania region, an area known for its high levels of violence and poverty. This area is often neglected by the upper classes and politicians, and suffers from too much discrimination due to the negative things that can potentially happen there. For this very reason, it is essential that associations like AQuaS are present in the area.

In my opinion, it’s an incredible association, not only for the activities it offers children but also for its efforts to promote the development of a working-class area like Scampia. The association’s operators run educational support workshops to help children and young people in their development and to address any particular difficulties they may encounter and any skills that need improving, such as social skills, learning to live in a community or simply the ability to communicate.

AQuaS also provides them with the opportunity to learn to play musical instruments, through participation in 13 workshops for different instruments, such as the clarinet, guitar, piano, viola, violin, and many others. After attending the music workshops, the children can join an orchestra free of charge: a very rare and precious opportunity that the association has made possible thanks to the Musica Libera Tutti project.

AQuaS has more than 150 young people aged 3 to 18 who benefit directly from the projects, but the beneficiaries of the activities are also the parents, who have the opportunity to become volunteers during workshops, trips, meetings or parties and to be supported in the exercise of their parenting. Together, the operators and parents create a shared path of active and responsible education. Families are happy and reassured in knowing that their children are looked after by educators and teachers from the association because they have the opportunity to study, have fun, make friends, learn to play musical instruments and approach reading through play. The children and young people have the opportunity to benefit from educational and recreational activities in a familiar place, rather than being left to play outside in the neighbourhood, and risking dropping out from school. In order to include as many people as possible, volunteers also organize monthly meetings where women can discuss femininity and other current issues.

AQuaS uses its influence to support various local projects, including the social promotion association “Dream Team - Donne in rete” (Dream Team - Women network) and the “Scampia Felice” workshop promoted by associations and active citizens of the neighbourhood with the aim of promoting opportunities for participatory democracy and active citizenship.

From my experience, I have learned that associations like AQuaS are indispensable for eliminating the clichés about the outskirts of big cities. The activities and workshops offered address various aspects that may seem trivial, but that are fundamental for changing things and transforming fragility, worries and doubts into hope, motivation and the strength to be able to build a better future. AQuaS brings together people full of hope and humanity, who help the inhabitants of the neighbourhood to grow and show that they have the same abilities as people who live in central neighbourhoods or in other cities, and that they may have talents that need to be valued.

For me, AQuaS is a big family with one goal: to help each other! Having experienced this exciting journey, coming from France and feeling so warmly welcomed, I can confirm that it is an example for other associations or for people who want to give hope to those who have lost it.