CC FRATERNITY SAN PATRIGNANO COMMUNITY FOR LIFE

On 27th September 2023 the Erasmus students  had an educational trip to the San Patrignano's rehabilitation center. Thay had  a tour of the rehabilitation center starting from leather goods, woodworking, and wallpaper workshops. Then they had  lunch in the canteen to have an idea of what a typical day is like for the people living in the center. After lunch they had the opportunity to listen to Federico's story. He is part of the staff but before that he was just a teenager with a history of drug addictions.

As well as rehabilitation, San Patrignano’s mission has always been the prevention of drug abuse; a focus on young or very young people that every day, either directly or indirectly, come into contact with drugs or experience the difficulties typical of adolescence.

San Patrignano welcomes minors (both male and female and are divided in two separate buildings inside the Community) with issues related to the drug use, delinquency and relationship difficulties, to petty crime, social exclusion and in general to any form of discomfort.

The visit is part of the school project about the prevention of the use of drug use and abuse. At the same time students can share life experiences and the efforts made to get out of the tunnel. 

The activity was also part of the orientation programme to develop social and life skills.

A typical day at San Patrignano is no different from the typical day of anyone outside the community. However, following normal rules of coexistence turns the daily life of anyone who has experienced situations of serious marginalization,  completely upside down.  

Every morning, the residents of San Patrignano wake up at a specific time and then do the housework, such as making their beds and cleaning their rooms. Everyone then has breakfast together in the large dining room, before heading to their particular life sector which also happens to be their vocational training sector. In the workshops, agricultural or service sectors, each resident has the possibility to dialogue and live side by side with others, to understand the responsibilities a job implies. 

Regardless of the sector each resident works in, everyone has some free time to do other activities including sport, drama, singing or dance. After dinner residents can spend some time together watching films or TV programmes and shows in the auditorium and theater.

After reaching an advanced stage of their rehabilitation programme, some San Patrignano residents take part in drug prevention activities with visiting students or even outside the community.