EARTHQUAKE IN CENTRAL ITALY: BACK TO SCHOOL!

December 22 were inaugurated the school and the kindergarten in Norcia made at the initiative of Fondazione Mission Bambini  in agreement with the city administration. This is the first public building in Norcia rebuilt after the 30 October earthquake, and for this reason the school is been named "Norcia rinasce" (Norcia reborn). In January 2017 will welcome more than 50 children in kindergarten that are without school because of the earthquake. 

The building is a prefabricated wooden, rectangular in shape, of 184 square meters, completely earthquake-proof. It has been placed in the gardens of the former municipal skating rink in Norcia. 

"The new building was built in less than a month", said Nicola Alemanno, Mayor of Norcia, "and for us hear again the voices of children shrilling in this school will be for our community the first real big signal of return to normality".

Since August 24 in Lazio, Umbria, Abruzzo and Marche there were other numerous earthquakes. In particular the shock of October 30 has created further damage and destabilized an area already hard hit in August.

Mission Bambini has redefined priorities for action over the past two months, launching a series of actions with the general objective of putting in safety the pupils of the schools severely damaged by the earthquake and facilitate the smooth start of school lessons.

Specifically Mission Bambini is working to:

• Support the startup of the canteen in the school of Amatrice  (photo 1), through the engagement of a local caterer to provide daily meals to 210 students. The cost of the new canteen is Euro 11,000. At the beginning of 2017 it will be assessed an additional contribution.
• Commissioning the safety of Pizzoli and Cagnano Amiterno schools  which accommodate a total of 380 students through the purchase of new desks and equipment with characteristics of resistance to possible meltdowns and realization of improvement of safety of school buildings. In the school of Pizzoli (photo 2) will be installed an external tent for the temporary admission of students in the event of evacuation.  An outer cover will be installed at the emergency stair of Cagnano Amiterno (photo 3) to prevent accidents by children in case of rain or snow. The total cost is 26.372 euro.
• Construction of a temporary kindergarten for 36 children in a gym of Montereale, through the purchase of mobile soundproof walls (photo 4). The cost is 17,000 euro.
• Construction of a kindergarten in Norcia (PG), built with earthquake-resistant and energy-saving criteria, of about 160 square meters and with a kitchen inside, to accommodate 50 children. Photo 5 shows the laying of the first beam last 29 November. The cost is 220,000 Euros.

Mission Bambini is considering other actions and is in contact with the city of Cittareale (RI) for the construction of a kitchen to provide meals to 40 students of the new school soon realized. The estimated cost of the intervention is 120,000 euro.

Links:

• Mission Bambini website