ESC Volunteering in Italy with young migrants

Associazione il Cesto Onlus is involved since 1987 in the promotion of integration and social promotion processes among the different ethnicities living Genova historical city centre, with a particular attention towards minors, second generation migrants and other actors in the neighbourhood (residents, shop keepers, schools and institutions).

The association has managed to build a space in which develop and bring together educational, recreational and creative goals among minors of different ethnicities and Italian, stimulating and encouraging positive relations among people, encounter, mutual knowledge and solidarity, providing paths and tolls to value and enforce individuals and community’s potential.

The association’s services are a literacy course for adults, an helpdesk for migrants, the Social Centre for children, the Social Centre for pre-adolescents and adolescents and cultural animation and training activities mostly provided within the Circolo in Giardini Luzzati (Luzzati Gardens). Furthermore, during the summer Giardini Luzzati hosts summer camp activities, involving children and adolescents in recreational activities in June and July.

The Social Centre for children and adolescents are open every afternoon from Monday to Friday, providing school support and leisure time activities in a protected environment.

Summer camp activities take place in the city surrounding and involve children and, separately, pre-adolescents and adolescents.

In 2012 Associazione il Ce.Sto ha started managing Luzzati Garden, a downgraded area that has been renovated and transformed. In this area, Il Ce.Sto, in cooperation with Giardini Luzzati Nuova Associazione that leads the bar, promotes cultural and recreative activities giving life to an alternative place of meeting for the citizens.

Another integration project promotes by Ce.Sto is “Insieme allo Stadio” (together to the Stadium) in cooperation with Genoa Cricket Footbal Club and a project called “Un cuore grande così” (Such a big heart): children and youngsters attending Ce.Sto services are accompanied to Genoa F.C. matches and get in for free.

Since 2011 Ce.Sto is involved in the project “Nuova Casa Guarchi”, focused on the hosting of refugees and asylum seekers and today so structured: an emergency service in agreement with Prefettura di Genova providing support in the asylum seeking procedure and medical assistance; a social, working, housing integration and empowerment process for people having subsidiary protection and a hosting project within the SPRAR system of Comune di Genova and ANCI for single persons and families who are being hosted in apartments and provided with services such as literacy, documents issuing, medical assistance and work integration, and a residential community for Separated Children.