IBSA Italy for Fondazione Danelli

Going beyond, overcoming diversity; getting personally involved and creating true integration, together; using sport as an element of aggregation: in this spirit continues the collaboration between IBSA Italy and the Fondazione Angela and Stefano Danelli of Lodi, also thanks to the support of the social enterprise I Bambini delle Fate (“The Fairies’ Children”).

The partnership was born in 2014, when IBSA embraced the foundation’s mission and began to support its projects, aimed at training and educating children and young people with autism and other disabilities. Indeed, thanks to advanced rehabilitation techniques and a psycho-educational approach, the Association helps young people to improve their autonomy, as well as their social and personal skills, and supports their families helping them learn more about their children’s disabilities and acquire the tools useful for their daily management.

“Ten years ago with Franco Antonello, founder of the social enterprise I Bambini delle Fate, we began to look for local companies with a “social heart”. Many of these still support us today, with continuity, in our many activities, and one of these is IBSA”, explained Francesco Chiodaroli, Director of the Fondazione Danelli. “We are very grateful to this company, for having made – and making – our local territory more supportive and sympathetic every day”.

The year 2023 marks a new, important stage in the journey that IBSA and the Fondazione Danelli are making together: IBSA has in fact strengthened its commitment to achieving true social inclusion and creating spaces for integration at local level, involving first of all its collaborators. Hence, the idea of​​opening up to the children of Fondazione Danelli the participation in the “IBSA Games“, the company’s team tournament, which has turned into an exciting and emotional experience, making tangible the most authentic values ​​of sport as a precious tool for social aggregation.

“During these sports days, the children of the foundation were involved in several ways: they directly participated in the competitions; they cheered for their friends and their guides, who took part in the competitions, getting involved in first person as well. These were very intense days: IBSA collaborators had the opportunity to play, interact, talk and learn more about the reality and the people who animate the Fondazione Danelli. A unique experience for everyone”, continued Chiodaroli.

The work of Fondazione Danelli, together with I Bambini della Fate, is aimed at assigning a new meaning to the “social commitment” concept, giving more space to the narration of disability under a positive and proactive perspective, one where the potential of children and young people emerges, together with the resilience of their families in facing challenges and difficult paths; paths that must be sustained over time, so that an actual coexistence of differences can be achieved.