IBO Italia is planning three summer camps for 60 children from the affected areas in order to offer them a non formal group experience, far from their living places continously hit by earthquakes and aftershocks.
The violent earthquakes that affected Central Italy over the past six months have forced many families to leave their homes and villages. Children and adolescents often have lost their friendship networks, in addition to living a situation of psychological stress because of the continuous aftershocks. Considering that, in the summer 2017 Ibo Italy will organize 3 summer camps in Ferrara as a chance for 60 children to spend time far from the difficult socio-economic contexts.
The participation to a summer camp will allow young people to live for a few days a community experience in a serene and carefree environment with leisure activities that will help them, psychologically and behaviorally, to relieve stress and fear accumulated over the last months.
A similar project was experienced after the earthquake that affected Emilia Romagna in 2012, and it demonstrated that taking "breaks" from everyday life could really help children to cope better with the long path of reconstruction of their homes and their communities and to reinforce a more positive approach towards the future, in spite of the enormous difficulties that surround them.
