Bologna, 27 April 2024 – They distinguished themselves for having helped and for immediately making themselves available in moments when their land and their fellow citizens were in need, given the emergency arising from the tragic flood which devastated Roman Emilia between May 1st and 3rd and then between May 16th and 18th 2023.
We are talking about 6 very young peopleresidents in the provinces of Forlì-Cesena and Ravenna and born after 2000, who were awarded by the President of the RepublicSergio Mattarella, and they became Standard bearers of the Republic.
“The floods that hit our territory in 2023 – we read in the note from the Quirinale – in particular Romagna and Tuscany, have once again brought to light altruismthe generosity and the sense of community of many young people. The Certificates enhance the voluntary actionsthe examples of active citizenshipas well as the stories of young people who have been able to transform their passion for writing or science into a ‘bridge’ to reduce inequalities”. 29 young Alfieribut here’s who the six are mud angels.
There are six mud angels from Romagna awarded by Mattarella
Abderrahim and Selim from Cesena and Gatteo
Abderrahim Ben Rhouma14 years old, and Selim Ayach17 years old, are the youngest and both come from the province of Forlì Cesena.
Abderrahim was born on 22 September 2010 and lives in Cesena. He was recognized for “the exemplary civic sense with which he provided assistance to his community, to the land and to the people who welcomed him when he arrived in Italy from Tunisia with his family”. In fact, from the very first days after the flood, Abderrahim made himself available to the volunteer center set up in the school gym to do its part, “showing great civic sense, altruism and solidarity towards the community”.
Selim he was born on 7 December 2007 and lives in Gatteo. With dedication and generosity he participated as a volunteer in the life of the community even during the flood that hit Emilia Romagna. He’s become Red Cross volunteer after saving the life of a person with resuscitation maneuvers. The episode dates back to when “an elderly lady, having just got off a bus, collapsed on the ground feeling ill. Luckily for him, Selim was passing by there at the time and, having witnessed the scene, he immediately rushed towards the woman, activating first aid and performing cardiac massage until the paramedics arrived”, reads the note from the Quirinale.
Valeria from Forlì
The 18 year old Valeria Frasca coordinated the activities of young people from all over Italy to help the flood victims of Forlì.
Born on 20 October 2006 and resident in Forlì, “from the very next day Valeria showed up at the volunteer collection point set up by the neighborhood committee and served for many subsequent days, helping the flood victims and coordinating the activities of the young people coming from every part of Italy. Until the reopening of schools she remained available without sparing herself and demonstrating a great spirit of solidarity and civic sense.”
Guido, Letizia and Matteo from Ravenna and Faenza
Guido19 years old, created an IT platform to coordinate volunteers. Joy20 years old, gave tireless comfort to children and the elderly and organized song evenings. Matteo18, has motivated many other young people with his determination
Guido Betti was born on 31 October 2005 and lives in Ravenna. He contributed to the creation of one CommunitySos IT platformwhich allowed us to organize more than 6 thousand volunteers divided into 1100 teams, in rescue operations for the population affected by the flood and to reach all the critical areas of the province of Ravenna. The platform was designed to allow mapping of local needs and optimal management of volunteers during crisis and emergency events.
Letizia Galletti resides in Lugo and was born on 25 July 2004. She was awarded “for having brought relief with her music to many people forced to abandon their homes. During the days following the overflowing of rivers, numerous people found refuge at the Palabanca in Lugo di Romagna.” Among the girls and boys who tried to give comfort and assistance there was also Letizia, who “also organized evening singing moments and with her songs helped spread a climate of solidarity is one spirit of restart. Some elderly people have even expressed the desire not to return home immediately in order to continue living in that very familiar context.”
Matteo Violani is dated 27 April 2006 and is resident in Faenza. His volunteer service it constitutes an example of active citizenship and symbolizes the resilience of an entire community. “Despite her young age, the Matteo’s determination was motivating for other young people and with his work he has become a point of reference for volunteers of all ages and backgrounds”.
