Mondolandia Continues Its Work Amid Cinque Continenti Neighborhood Tensions

While the Cinque Continenti neighborhood continues to be at the center of attention following the latest mayoral ordinances, in the area, ‘Mondolandia’ persists in its work — a gathering and socialization space managed by a cooperative through collaboration between the Comune (Municipality) and the Provincia (Province), with support from the social workers of Castiglione.

Organization of Activities and Participants

Leading the work with neighborhood children is Barbara Ulinska Morselli, assisted by a municipal volunteer and an intern from Enaip of Mantova. At the center on via Kennedy, there are as many as 43 children enrolled, divided into two age groups.

The young children, up to 10 years old, number 28, including 12 foreigners, while the older group, from 11 to 14 years old, counts 15 children, with 11 foreigners. The immigrants attending ‘Mondolandia’ are Nigerian, Moroccan, Macedonian, Vietnamese, as well as others from various parts of Italy. “We place a lot of emphasis on multiculturalism,” explains Barbara Ulinska, “with projects that are later presented by Enaip interns as diploma thesis papers.”

They have created a small magazine about the countries of the world; currently, they are working on a calendar. Monday and Tuesday are dedicated to the older children, with workshops, role-playing games, and interaction activities. Wednesday is a day for all, while Thursday and Friday are reserved for the younger children, with individual or group activities and plenty of play.

Activities and Projects

Important for the children of Cinque Continenti is Sportlandia, a sporting calendar spanning spring and autumn organized by the municipal Sports Department and local clubs.

During the summer, activities include swimming at the pool or trips, such as to Gardaland. Regarding the multifunctional sports center already financed by the Provincia, Barbara Ulinska expresses satisfaction: “We will also be able to find spaces in these new facilities.”

“Here we are a bit disadvantaged, despite the large green areas available,” she added. “We hope,” she concludes, “that with more resources, the Mondolandia project can be expanded and opened to teenagers who finish compulsory school and are experiencing a particularly challenging age.”