We at Sguardi.info are grateful for the collaboration of the co-operative of the Arcadi Noč, and especially to Carlo Pinnone, who has introduced to us several members of the Maroccan community coming from Krakra, an inland region of Marocco. This community, for almost thirty years , has been established in the Quadratio quarter of Rome for reasons of work.
In fact the community does not reside permanently in Rome. Almost all the men return periodically to Marocco where their women, and children live.
Here we have a male community of those who work mainly as sellers of books on stalls.
Besides adults, there are boys who arrive in Rome nearly 12 years old to work with their parents, some also continuing their studies. It is to them that the project "At home towards autonomy " of the Co-operative Arca di Noč is directed.
We went to question Carlo Pinnone to understand better the objectives of the project.
Sig; Pinnone, when and how was the project "At home towards autonomy" born?
Officially the project was launched in 2000. To understand the context and the complex of problems in which it took shape and developed we need to go back to 2000, when in Municipality XII of the Comune of Rome some requests for the registration of minors were institutionalised.
By "Institutionisalition of minors " we mean the insertion of minors in structures such as Case Famiglia or Institutes which provide directly for the needs of the young. In this case, that of the VI th Municipality, some boys were hosted at the "City of boys".
The experiment was a success.From the moment they arrived in the Municipality they began to register numerous requests; So Ilaria Schiaffino, Social Assistant of the IVth Municipality, proposed a competition for the realisation of a project to provide "a guided course" towards the institutionisation of these boys, to avoid the break with families which the transfer into instituitions brings about.
As the Co-operativa Arca di Noč we have participated in the competition in the IVth Municipality with the project "At home towards autonomy", putting the accent on the importance of "staying", the fundamental element which would enable us educators to create a real plan of work. The Municipality has judged our plan of work valid, and after about three years , here we are to discuss it.
What kind of service have you offered?
In the social sector generally we tend to divide this kind of activity into two parts, the first includes all those services which we may define at "high threshold". By this for we mean all the services difficult to provide, for example the consultancy for minors or Centre for fiscal assistence (CAF). The second part, called "low threshold", allows for boys service and to operators and educators the possibility of moving directly into the field to create a real "education on the road".
In these situations I believe institutional synergy is fundamental. It was important
to ask ourselves what we could do for these boys, on our own, as educators and operators. Certainly we had already done much, managed to assist them in a whole range of situations, important and delicate ones.For example, in particular the need to be vacinated, to renew a residence permit, just to think of two, but it was clear that they had need of the support of other institutions.A great help in this sense has arrived from the Istituto Salesiano Don Bosco which enables these boys to learn a trade which will important for their lives.
How have the boys accepted your help?
In the beginning there was great diffidence; I think this is normal, the first meeting with some of them took place at school, in an awkward building, incapable of creating a direct rapport between us and the boys. At school the young Maroccans were practically becoming a scapegoat in petty conflicts in the classroom.
Meeting for the first time in the ambit of the school , we became almost "accomplices" of those who practised discriminatiion, and rightly they asked what we wanted from them.
Once out of the school, things began to go better. Personal relationships pay, step by step. We manage to construct a relationship on an equal basis. We talked of ourselves, of what we were doing, of how we lived. And we talked about football, for example. So, slowly, we managed to detach ourselves from how much the school had done up to that moment and to find a new and more efficient way for constructing a direct relatioinship. But at the same time, we sought to embark on a course of integration parting from trust. Their community is very closed and in this sense sporting activities (football competitions and swimming) helped us to create important moments of meeting. Certainly we did nor solve all problems, but between 2004 and today many things have changed.
How will the project evolve in the future?
This is a delicate question. The whole sector, I mean the social one, necessitates continually new funds to carry ahead adequately esisting initiatives and future ones. Currently we have rethought our initial project as a sort of prosecution of work carried out till now, a transformation in course which will enable us to continue to follow the boys with activities intended for certain periods of time of the year. I am thinking in particular of September for enrolments in schools and at the end of the year, a delicate period for the renewal of residence permits.
The project has been submitted to the Province of Rome, but you can easily imagine the delay will be long. In the meantime we are continuing to do everything possible, within all the limits and potentialities we have.
Continuing our walk through the streets of Quadrato, we came to the "adult" part of this community, persons who have been living in Rome now for more than twenty years. Without wasting words, they say: "Quadrato has chosen us, we are not here by choice. We have been living here since we came to Rome, and that would be at least twenty years now. You don't know Quadrato, Well, why did you have to come here? ".
In disordered state of houses in this quarter, they recount how he city in these years has at bottom remained the same, the difficulties they have encountered in the world of work, above all as foreigners.
With them we talked about the revolt of the banlieu Parisians, of how Italy and France tackle immigration differently. One of them "If you are born in France, you have the right to citizenship, and if you are unemployed you have the right to unemployment benefit, while in Italy, no. But clearly, we are talking of two different countries. "
Willingly they talk of Spain, place of transit during the long journey towardsMarocco, of the rapid change in the wake of Franco.
They add some quick observations on the "Obras", the works in progress along the southern coasts. "The country had changed alot after the death of Franco , the difference you could see a year after. Before you found streets under curfew and old buildings, now, as if by magic, building yards and work in progress everywhere!" from Malaga to Alicante passing through Catalonia. "
We ask him if during their stays in Marocco they continue to work. They reply that generally they prefer to rest, but this, evidently ,is not always possible because at times they need money.
After talking a little about adults of the community we decide to walk again through the quarter in search of younger boys to interview.
Some are willing to speak to us, and others remain silent observing with curiosity what is happening.
The first thing that we note is the fashion in dress. They seem just like Romans of the same age. Some of them speak with phrases typical of the capital, and it is interesting to see how they manage to pass from one language to another according to whether they are talking to us, or to other Maroccans.
There are two wishes: to integrate with the host society and to hold on to the culture of their origins.
All love Marocco and all tell us it is marvellous to return to the region of Krakra after working for some months in Rome. At the same time all say that they are happy in Quadrato.
Differently from adults, who mainly sell books on the stalls in the streets, the boys start in apprentiships in newprofessions.Many, in fact do courses to become electricians organised by the Istituto dei Salesioni Don Bosco. This because, as we have explained, it gives them a better chance of finding work in Italy and also in Marocco if they choose to return to Krakra.
Youssef, though, has done a course to become a pizzamaker and he talks of working in a restaurant.
So we ask him: What would you like to do in the future?
He replies : "Why, as Carlo said, I would like to open a pizzeria in Marocco, or settle here and do so;"
While he talks he smiles often ; his face like that of other persons with whom we have been able to talk, is sunny, puts you in a good mood.
How do you pass the day?
In the morning I go to work, I don't have a fixed schedule, I open when I feel like it. The afternnon, instead, I go to load books or go out a bit.
Work is something about which we talk more often. For some dreams have already replaced reality which must be taken as it comes.
I ask T.: As a child in Marocco , before you came to Italy, what would you most have liked to do?
He, with unexpected wisdom for his sixteen years, replied: "Well, you know, when you are a child you dream many things but then it is necessary to face realities. To see what is possible and impossible and behave accordingly."
Perhaps thanks to the project Arcadi Noč, these boys manage to believe a little in their potentialities.
Carlo introduces us then to a little one of the Commuinuty R.
How is school going?
Well, I am doing the second middle school.
Do you get on with your class-mates?
Yes, yes.
Are you at home here?
Yes, I know everyone, they are all brothers for me, is it just like Marocco.
From the questions that we ask, we manage to understand that relations within the community are good, the boys are followed. The lack of women, however, rather hinders integration with Italians.
Then I asked Youssef again:How come there are no women here?
He replies: "I would never want my mother to come here, because life is too difficult for us ".
What's the use of complaining.There are houses in Quadrato in which more than 15 of us, Maroccans live, and it is not always easy.
There are difficulties, however, as far as the boys are concerned, in our schools. These, often, do not create points of contact in the class-room to allow integration of those who came from different cultures as educationalists have explained to us.
Then I hope this community will manage to find better conditions, dignified accommodation, paying a just rent, receiving the right assistence etc.. While as regards Italian boys, we hope that they will be able to learn how, in the future, to receive Maroccan boys not as different,"with foreign customs".
