A Building for the Disabled

Project location: Italy, Ciampino
Project start date: June 2005 - Project end date: This project covers various years
Project number: 2005-39
Beneficiary: Associazione Arca Italia ONLUS

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Arca is a well Known organization because since 1981 it has provided care for mentally disabled people in the community complex of Il Chicco a Ciampino (Rome) in self contained homes called “focolari”. More recently a second Community complex known as L’Arcobaleno has been opened in the Quarto Inferiore in Bologna. “Focolari” are family sized units within the neighborhood supporting the concepts of community life. Voluntary carers and the mentally disabled share accommodation, meals and services. Occupational therapy is provided to help develop individual creativity. Over the years the occupational therapy activity has grown considerably. People entering the communities are those who either do not have a family or come from a family that is unable to care for them. Accomodation is provided for life. Associazione Arca Italia is part of the “Federazione Internazionale della Arche” (International Federation of the Arche).

The Organization has finished the new buildings and a part of the existing buildings in our community il Chicco, in Ciampino, have been restored, even with the help of the Fondazione Nando Peretti. In order to end definitively the compound and to make safe the lives of the people with mental disabilities and their assistants, the Organization has to provide with a new fence round the compound. The actual fence is totally destroyed and it’s necessary to avoid the repeating of nocturnal raids of criminals, events that worry the whole community.

The community “ Il Chicco” has 20 mentally disabled people, who live permanently in the community and 10 people, who stay in the community during the day, together with their assistants.
For the security of the compound, it is necessary to make a fence round the compound, considering the actual situation (thefts, delinquency and intrusions). The compound will be provided with an alarm system. The Nando Peretti Foundation has financed such work.