The last day of the Italian class in Montaione_celebration

On April 10th 2019, in the Italian class of Montaione (Florence), students organized an event to share food, discuss and talk about their lives and their difficulties.

Preparing and sharing food were opportunities: to get together, to let the children play and to use a new common space. They got the room from local associations by insisting themselves and proposing their ideas and needs to other people of the local community.

On that occasion, a cultural mediator spoke to the participants, mostly Moroccans, about legal, social and health services in the area. Women celebrated the conclusion of a very important learning process, which does not only concern the knowledge of the Italian language but also the services they can access, their rights and how they can support their families.

Saliha: "In Morocco, I could not study, I was part of a large family and I wanted to help my parents and my grandparents. For this reason, since I was a child I helped for housework and I used to breed goats for instance. Here in Italy for the first time, I went to school: I had the opportunity to learn Italian and meet other women that experience similar situations. Years ago for problems related to pregnancy I spent five days in the hospital, the nurses asked me if I was hungry or if I had to go to the bathroom, I didn't understand anything and I felt like crying. Now I can express my needs even with the doctors. This makes me feel more comfortable and at ease".

Suad: "For me, the Italian class is very important, it makes me happy and I tried as much as possible to involve other women from my country in this course. Knowing about the Italian language allows me to talk to my children's teachers and to feel independent. I used to live in a very small village in the countryside, now I live in a small town, it is quiet and secure, but at the same time, I can meet other people and have some friends".