Francesco Napoli, project manager
How did “Habitat” project come about? What does it consist of and why does it involve that area?
“Habitat” project consists of an intervention of redevelopment and regeneration of uncultivated land within the Picentini Mountains geographical area, which overlooks the Gulf of Salerno and has been impoverished and abandoned, especially in terms of agriculture.
The project gives back to the community what had been abandoned: the farmhouses, cultures, traditions and the Mediterranean diet, enhancing the area’s agrifood heritage. “Habitat” also promotes social agriculture and a welfare ecosystem, which is a way to regenerate the local community by putting the most fragile people back at the centre. In fact, the project has the essential value of accompanying people with vulnerabilities and disadvantages in training and job placement within the redevelopment activities, as well as returning places of beauty to the local community; it also promotes and enhances the local excellence that we are recovering at this stage.
To achieve your objectives, you have decided to create a network and work together. What does the collaboration between the various partners of the project consist of?
Since we are talking about ecosystem, welfare, proximity and community, the territorial network becomes an essential element of implementation and planning. To do this, we chose partners with whom we have historically collaborated and with whom we share ethics and values, which is essential to carry out this kind of projects. The partnership was selected in terms of skills: each partner managed a part of the project so that, on the one hand, we could regenerate the uncultivated land that are under intervention and, on the other hand, accompany the beneficiaries and the community to have a contact, to build a bond with this place and this territory.
How important was the support of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai?
The intervention of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai has been essential in terms of financial support, but also in terms of collaboration in building this project and carrying it forward. The name of the project, “Habitat”, indicates precisely the recovery and provision of spaces that will become a habitat, for example, for bees, which are essential for the survival of the overall ecosystem. This geographical area is complex because it has been subject of land use that has had a significant environmental and hydrogeological impact. We trust that the resources made available will bear the hoped-for fruits to restore these places and enhance the production that will be carried out here.
Giuseppe Marotta, operator of the Capovolti cooperative
One of the objectives of the project is to promote the employment of people with fragility. What are the main difficulties and how are you overcoming them?
Speaking of the specific context of agriculture, the biggest difficulty was to find out that the people involved did not feel able to perform certain tasks. There was great empathy from the start and a desire to be able to make the most of every step forward; the important thing is to be patient because even if you don’t know how to do something, you gradually learn it. At the end of each activity, in fact, therethey were greatly satisfied, because they had achieved a goal, becoming totally in control and responsible for their action. Personally, I had to overcome my prejudices: farm work, country work, is heavy and it must be done in a certain way. That’s why I initially had a hard time delegating to people with various frailties, but by working on myself, I worked hard to pass on my trust to them. There are people who have been with us for more than seven years and have learnt a lot, they are now teaching the newcomers and for us this is the greatest satisfaction. It is the result of work done with so much passion and patience.
“Habitat” also promotes didactic and educational initiatives for minors, adolescents and families. What impact are you having through the project?
The impact we have seen through the experience of our guests and families is totally positive for us and goes beyond imagination. This was a tormented area, abandoned to itself and the beauty of nature could no longer be seen; we aim to make it a park accessible to all by restoring the damage done in the past.
Our strength, dedication and awareness tell us that we can do it. It will be tiring, for sure. But the feedback from the area after the first activities are very positive because they have had an excellent result.
Project beneficiary
What kind of path have you set out on thanks to the project, what are your commitments?
We are an agricultural business, depending on the season we grow certain products and then process them. We recently finished harvesting tomatoes, aubergines, beans and typical summer produce and started the olive harvest to make organic oil. Since this area is very large, we keep cleaning, cutting the grass or tidying up. We also organise projects with schools and we accompany associations or organisations that wish to bring here their proposals. We want to convey the idea of an open space, giving this possibility to other realities, knowing the projects in advance and respecting certain requirements.
A basic project we carry out with schools is the “square vegetable garden”: a metre and a half of soil, made inside a wooden box with amphorae inside for irrigation. It is very simple for those who have never had experience in agriculture. Seeing a seedling grow and keeping an eye on it always gives great satisfaction.
What impact has the project had on your life?
The project has definitely improved my life from the point of view of work. Here in the South, we often find ourselves working underpaid, off the books or with ridiculous contracts. Besides, I like nature very much, I have always gardened, cultivated, but I never had the opportunity to do it as a regular job. Thanks to the project, however, I can give continuity to these efforts. It is definitely a very tiring journey because working in the countryside is hard and you have to be passionate about it.
What are your dreams for the future?
My dream, linked to the project, is that more and more people come here and combine their experiences. There are many ideas, such as doing theatre and other artistic activities.