A shelter, a place to escape from violence, to find steps of strength to restart a life of work, affection, identity far from those who have done harm. It happens in Bondeno, where the municipal administration has nominated an empty apartment for a financing tender. The total cost is 120 thousand euros. Regional funding can cover up to 90% of expenses. But the project was needed. And the Municipality of Bondeno did it, identifying an empty apartment in via Enrico Fermi, in the capital Bondeno, a place where other apartments have already welcomed fragile people for some time now. “We need ‘shelter houses’ – confirms the councilor for social services and deputy mayor Francesca Piacentini -. The Region’s call opens up places that allow women who have suffered violence to start their lives again in a safe place aiming for job placement. It’s an overall project. A place where women will be able to stay for specific periods of time.” The candidacy for the project is documented by a resolution just published on the notice board. “The notice came out – explains Piacentini – and we had an apartment available. We thought we’d give our contribution. We are part of the provincial ‘Quitting Violence’ Network – underlines the deputy mayor – and we actively contributed by opening the Girasole desk at the Casa of Bondeno’s health. It seemed correct to take a further step, creating beds and structures of this kind”. The apartment in via Enrico Fermi is empty at the moment. If financed, it will host women who have been victims of violence for five years “with a view – underlines Piacentini – to favor the solution of these problems which in fact and unfortunately exist. Escape from violence. Real, documented, traced. Help those finding the courage to do so is an essential duty. It is also necessary to protect women who have suffered violence in their own municipality – explains Piacentini – but they need shelters ‘where you can continue your life journey feeling safe and protected. For this reason Bondeno contributes with other municipalities that have made this choice to take concrete steps to give them this possibility. We work together with other municipalities and associations that believe in this project. We wanted to make our contribution to being able to remove women from a dangerous context and guarantee them a safe environment.”
Claudia Fortini
