Kiriku – At inclusion school project in Baranzate

Baranzate is a peculiar town with distinctive elements in the make up of its social fabric: it is the Italian town with the second highest concentration of resident immigrants (33% of the 11,000 population) representing 72 nationalities, concentrated in the Gorizia quarter. In this stratified social context there are some significant shortcomings in resources and services, which help make it a difficult suburban territory. Baranzate has an urgent need for integrated interventions to guarantee the younger part of the population access to resources useful for growth. Consider that 36% of families with children under six have one or more factors of social vulnerability, 40 families among those using services for infancy are in relative poverty and six are in absolute poverty.

In this context the project, continuing what had already been started in the same area with “Beyond the margins”, aims to make use of the cultural heritage of each nation as a starting point for real inclusion, with a symbolic reference to the popular wisdom of the story of Kiriku, widespread in western Africa. The operation also aims to spread basic health culture and promote contact networks among citizens with the same needs, so as to reinforce the results of the project over time and make them sustainable. There is also the aim of favouring learning and cultural participation using teaching and training, and to make the most of the different traditions in caring for children in the different nationalities.

Kiriku – At inclusion school was chosen among the winners by the Impresa Sociale Con i Bambini in the competition against educational poverty among children from nought to 6 years and is promoted by a strong alliance of partners, each bringing specific competence. Alongside the project leader Associazione La Rotonda and the Bracco Foundation are the Centro Diagnostico Italiano, the municipality of Baranzate, the “Gianni Rodari” comprehensive Institute in Baranzate, the Poldi Pezzoli Museum and the “Sant’Arialdo” parish, with the Milan Polytechnic-TIRESIA which will study the impact.