By Anna Bonavita
If you ever wanted to experience the spirit of kindness, generosity and solidarity, there is no better place than our beloved Romagna. Here, in the southern part of the province of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, the ages-old tradition calls for (even required!) locals to welcome travelers with a glass of wine, not water. It is where the cooperative movement started and is thriving, and where a helping hand remains extended to all outsiders: to travelers as well as every single immigrant.
Today, as I write, Romagna is on its knees. After two years of extreme drought the month of May has brought almost 2 feet of rain (500 mm) in two consecutive flash floods, with more rain forecast in the coming days. The towns of Faenza, Cesena, Forlì, and some parts of Ravenna are under water, as well as smaller municipalities and even the arcades of the Via Saffi in central Bologna. The devastation is massive: electricity blackouts, telephone lines out of order, trains haywire, all leading to the anguish fueled by the evacuation of tens of thousands, and the isolation of entire areas.
Romagna is submerged, reeling, but fiercely determined not to sink, clinging to every anchor with the awe-inspiring effort of 1200 volunteers, dinghies, helicopters and 600 firefighters. Our friends there cry, and in the typical local fashion, get to work right away with rubber boots, knee-high pants and buckets in hand.
In the words of Giovanna, a dear friend, “the disaster that has struck [our] beloved Romagna, Cesena, Faenza, Ravenna, Bologna., and our beautiful hills. It's crying.... but the people roll up their sleeves and work nonstop...”
How Can You Help?
Esperienza wishes to help those in most need, to save art, to fight for a land that wants to get back up at any cost. As the situation is still unfolding, Esperienza is (and will be) in contact with local resources to understand and identify how we can support the community. We have created a fund which we will use to direct donations where help is needed most, especially needs which might be overlooked by larger relief organizations. Click the button below to contribute. Or if you prefer, you can donate to the flood relief fund established by Global Giving.
We will report on the use of the donations and keep you updated on the evolving situation as details become available. In the meantime, we invite you to stand in solidarity with Romagna.