“Non siete soli” supported children during the Covid crisis

In Italy the Covid-19 pandemic accentuated the already precarious state of the most vulnerable families. According to recent data, in 2020 the “new poor” increased by over 1 million, in addition to the 4.6 million people who were already living in extreme poverty in Italy. The presence of minor children further exposed these families to the consequences of the crisis, with an incidence of extreme poverty rising from 9.2% to 11.6%, following the improvement recorded in 2019. With the changes in their daily dynamics and lifestyles, various pathological eating behaviours became widespread among children. The average increase in the number of cases of eating disorders among adolescents between February 2020 and February 2021 was 30% compared with the same period in 2019-2020, with a lowering in the age range (13-16 years). In light of this extremely alarming scenario for this segment of the population, the Eni Foundation, after focusing on the over-80s in 2020, decided to continue in 2021 by supporting also children and adolescents with eating disorders and their families. The project was developed in collaboration with Società Italiana di Pediatria (SIP), the Italian Relief Corps of the Order of Malta (CISOM), Fondazione Banco Alimentare and Caritas Ambrosiana.

The Eni Foundation's initiative offered tangible support to socially disadvantaged children and adolescents with food disorders, providing an emergency response to the economic vulnerability and psychological distress felt within this age group. Along with the three largest cities in Italy - Milan, Rome and Naples - the project involved Ravenna, Gela, Taranto and Porto Torres.

The project involved the provision of food parcels and support services by Banco Alimentare, Caritas Ambrosiana and the CISOM Foundation; the distribution of educational and information materials, developed in collaboration with SIP, again by Banco Alimentare, Caritas Ambrosiana and the CISOM Foundation, and guides on malnutrition, food disorders and correct forms of behaviour provided by SIP for managing problems connected with these pathological conditions.
Information campaigns and educational materials, also supplied by SIP, were used to reach out to children’s health clinics, schools, canteens and workers at facilities, associations and entities that received and managed requests for assistance from the community concerning children, adolescents and their families.
Training on food disorders was also provided to volunteers and social workers that came into contact with children and adolescents. Finally, CISOM activated a telephone number available from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through which specialist psychologists provided assistance to families with children and adolescents that manifested eating disorders.

Like the other projects it has carried out across the world, this Eni Foundation initiative was inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. More specifically: Goal 1, Zero Poverty (End poverty in all its forms everywhere); Goal 2, Zero Hunger (End hunger, achieve food security); Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).