The ”sweet” inclusion. Disability and work for an inclusive economy: a positive italian experience

Abstract

The Association DOLCEMENTE Calvi APS, a non-profit social promotion association profit, was born on October 31, 2017 from the will of a group of people motivated to become a concrete point of reference for frail adults with mild cognitive impairment, focusing everything on autonomy and privileging the dimension of the "here and now" in a futuristic perspective. The aim is to guarantee them a dignified place in society, thus lowering the risk of social isolation, but also becoming comfort figures for their families, whose parents, very often in old age, experience the difficulty and heaviness of their role as caregivers. To this end, the Association, through the will and determination of its members, has devised the first "Solidarity Bakery Workshop" in Campania, in order to facilitate the socio-occupational integration of people with mild disabilities, as well as to empower them and make them aware of their innumerable resources. Such social activity is made possible by the skill and generosity of a pastry tutor who teaches "the art of pastry making", which has become the fundamental tool of expression of different abilities and aptitudes of people with disabilities, engaged daily in the search and selection of raw materials, employed in the processing of a finished product of quality. Through the creation of baked goods, obviously for the sole purpose of collecting donations, all members are actively involved in a process of making, packaging and presentation, complying with all hygiene standards and protocols set forth in HCCP. All this helps to enhance motivation, which stems from the action itself, but above all to raise the level of self-esteem due to the positive involvement in activities that allow them to give space to creativity and unexpressed qualities, including caring for the aesthetics of the products obtained and the packaging, for which very often materials collected in nature such as timbers, nut shells and everything that nature can offer, it emphasizes and reiterates the respect for the environment. The fundamental and prevailing principle is the enhancement of the positive in every situation, which allows us to emphasize good feelings that act as a powerful deterrent in conflict situations.