A first year student of the master's degree in psychology at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas tells us about...

"We would go every weekday afternoon to Casa Penelope, and in the mornings we would think of leisure activities to do with the mothers and the children. When we arrived, we would have a snack with them and then we would do the activity we had planned and finish the afternoon playing in the garden, which was a very big space. We all had a great time!

I personally loved the experience. The bond that is created with the mothers and their children is very special, since they are people who have had a very hard time, the attachment they develop with the volunteers is very strong. That is what I liked most about the experience, how grateful they were and how much they included us in their home. In fact, we still keep in touch today. I would also like to make it clear that we need responsibility and commitment, since it is essential to be responsible with the trust they place in us when we are so involved.  

The Italian Red Cross (ICRC) is an international organization present in the territories of 190 States. Its mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering, to contribute to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and of a culture of non-violence and peace. Underpinning and guiding the actions of the Red Cross are the seven Fundamental Principles of the International Movement, which have constituted its spirit and ethos since 1956 (year of the 20th International Conference of the Red Cross). The Principles are: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntariness, unity, universality.

Among the CRI's activities is Casa Penelope, a shelter for women and children who are victims of violence or in critical economic and social situations. Mothers and children participate in workshops on nutrition, healthy lifestyles, cooking, family and space care. These activities are carried out by volunteers. Casa Penelope is also supported by professional psychosocial staff who manage the house. Currently, the house accommodates 6 family groups with 12 children between the ages of 2 and 16.

What do we do?

Casa Penelope is located in a park, with an orchard nearby, has a large kitchen, a common room and family rooms. The guests of the foster home have the constant problem of creating a community relationship: tension and conflicts between the mothers are often high. The idea of being one body, albeit with their differences, is resisted by all. Therefore, interventions that reinforce the "doing together for all" and activities that strengthen the relationship with the children and work on the parental role are needed. In fact, it is often a tendency for mothers to delegate their children to volunteers during afternoon activities.

Students who choose this project are expected to be able to cope with the frustration of working in a context of great social vulnerability, to establish trusting relationships based on listening and dialogue, and to devise workshop-type activities for mothers and children, including playful and educational tasks through cooking, manipulation (manual work, with earth, water, colors) and play (especially theater, sports and art).

Also, in particular, the participants will be asked to take part in the preparation of a play coordinated by Red Cross volunteers, so it is important to know the Italian language and to integrate into the teamwork.

The biggest challenge is to create a relationship of trust with the mothers and involve them in the activities (avoiding that they delegate the care of the children to the volunteers). In fact, the activities should try to involve the whole family unit and promote positive relationships in the mother-child couple and in the relationship with the family dyads.

Casa Penelope welcomes mothers and children who speak Italian. Some speak Spanish. Focusing on recreational activities could help break the language barrier, but it is very important to master the Italian language.

The contribution of students is crucial at this time of the year (summer), which is also characterized by a decrease in the flow of volunteers who frequent the Red Cross structures. Their contribution makes it possible to give continuity to Casa Penelope's activities for the families present.

Moreover, since Casa Penelope is a protected reality, the contact with young women from other countries is an excellent stimulus to promote a dynamic encounter between cultures and, more generally, an openness to the community and society.

Schedule: 

Collaboration with Casa Penelope involves daily work:

- Planning work during the morning in which the students autonomously prepare the afternoon activities. They are asked to devise a course-workshop that helps the mother-child relationship through different languages that pass through the body, cooking, emotions, etc.

- Afternoon work with the guests of Casa Penelope - from 16.30 to 19.30 - from Monday to Sunday (with the possibility of agreeing on days off).

In addition to the work at Casa Penelope, the students will participate in activities with the youth group of the Italian Red Cross, Metropolitan Rome branch. These include sports, recreational and awareness-raising activities in the field. 

Three online training meetings will be organized before arriving in Rome:

• The first meeting aims to present Casa Penelope and the challenges of the context. Orientations will be given on the design of the workshop paths;

• The second meeting aims to analyze the proposal of the students through a feedback session;

• The third meeting aims to approve the students' final proposal.

The selected students can consult the Red Cross website https://www.criroma.org  and, in particular, the 7 fundamental principles of the movement https://www.criroma.org/chi-siamo/ . They can also consult the Red Cross youth website https://www.portaledeigiovani.it/scheda-utente/3014. 

The beneficiaries of the program are the women and children residing at Casa Penelope.

All students selected for the VUELA program will receive common training for participation in volunteer activities. 

Consult YOUR UNIVERSITY in the following links for training dates, location and conditions.  Don't forget to mark them in your calendar. This training is mandatory and is part of the project. 

The field accompaniment will be provided by the organization itself throughout the project, Lumsa University, as well as by a person from the convening universities who will accompany the experience in the field.

Shared apartment in Rome and common bag for maintenance during the project.  

The universities of Lumsa and Comillas will help in the search for accommodation and facilitate the arrival. Each volunteer must individually contribute an amount equal to the common expenses allowance to cover rental and maintenance costs. The amounts will be communicated prior to arrival, as well as the method of payment. 

Information on the possibility and conditions of financial support for these concepts can be found below, by consulting YOUR UNIVERSITY:

The student is responsible for arranging and paying for transportation to the intervention site, and must inform the project's reference university of the date and time of arrival at least 15 days in advance.

Lumsa University (Irene Culcasi)