Elena Nencini
The «La Ruota Magica» association, born from a group of mothers with special children, is 10 years old, a reality rooted in the territory that aims to promote integration between children with and without disabilities. The “Saturday afternoon” project – which has been ongoing for a few years – was included in the “Adopt a social project” initiative of the Municipality of Ravenna in 2023, which aims to bring the productive world into contact with local voluntary associations. The president of the association, Giovanna Capasso, talks about the activities and projects underway.
How was the association born?
«She was born ten years ago to a little girl called Sofia who suffered from a rare disease and her mother Rosa had created the association to connect mothers of children with disabilities. Sofia took to the skies in July 2022, but we are continuing to carry out various projects. The aim is to promote inclusion and integration among children and directly involves around ten mothers.”
What projects do you support?
«The first is called “Separate Together” and has the aim of promoting integration between able-bodied children and small children with disabilities. It was born from the need for us mothers to carve out a few hours of free time while still guaranteeing our children the presence of qualified staff capable of involving them in small activities. It takes place on Saturday afternoon at the L’Isola centre, with educators from the social cooperatives of Il Cerchio and Il Solco – Progetto Crescita, it is a project started in 2019 to guarantee mothers the possibility of a moment to have their hair done, to take a coffee with a friend. Now there are 12 children carrying out workshops, listening to music, watching a book being read.”
The integration between children with disabilities and able-bodied children is also the basis of a book that you mothers wrote.
«Yes, it’s called “The Magic of the Mirror”, a two-voice story that deals with childhood disability and the complex stories of the families who find themselves living this experience. On the one hand there is Stella, an able-bodied child, on the other Pietro, a disabled child, whose stories offer children and parents the possibility of mirroring each other because differences exist, but if encountered, known and put into common can become wealth to be shared. To show that disability does not infect and we need to be open to seeing disability differently. With the help of the Municipality, we decided to donate the book to school children. Anyone who wants will be able to collect a copy by contacting the association directly and the donations will be used to support new projects.”
What have you organized for the tenth anniversary of the association?
«We decided to create t-shirts that everyone can personalize, with a minimum donation of 15 euros we can support some of the costs of our projects. Furthermore, on Sunday 26 May at the Classis Museum, from 10am to 5pm, the proceeds from the exhibition «Come un Pittore..» with the works created by the children of the “Bianca and Bernie” nursery and the “Crescere Insieme” nursery will be donated to our association ».
Is the integration of these children into school essential?
«Absolutely yes, my son is 10 years old and attends the fourth grade; he is very lucky to have found good teachers, but the parents of the other children are also very helpful. Thanks to the collaboration with the Local Health Authority, a lesson was also held with a doctor on what to do in the event of a companion’s epileptic seizures. The only problem is the rotation of support teachers: now we have one really good one but we don’t know if next year it will be the same”.
