Naples, Spartak San Gennaro sit-in: "The Municipality must not forget the poorest children"

Every year, one hundred children and young people between the ages of six and sixteen cross the threshold of the Spartak San Gennaro association. Coming from difficult neighborhoods and families with limited economic resources, these young people find in this small sports reality not only a soccer field, but a safe place to socialize and make new friends. Spartak San Gennaro, located in the heart of Montesanto, has become a real home for many less fortunate young Neapolitans.

Behind this enterprise are the strong shoulders of Luigi Volpe and a group of passionate volunteers who do not want to leave the boys alone. To ensure the continuity of the association, the members of Spartak tax themselves, contributing from their own pockets to keep this reality alive. However, they are not alone in their "mission". Many, over time, have learned about their activity and support them through donations and crowdfunding campaigns. Among these supporters is the actor Gianfranco Gallo, who has chosen to allocate part of the proceeds from his books and shows to the association. “We are very grateful to Gianfranco and to all those who help us support the kids who knock on our door”, said Volpe.

Support also came from some city councilors, both from the past and the current administration, such as Rosario Andreozzi and Sergio D'Angelo, who contributed with personal donations. These funds allow Spartak San Gennaro to provide the boys with uniforms, shoes and backpacks and to participate in some football initiatives in Italy. “Only for these activities and for the material we spend about 13.000 euros a year”, says Volpe.

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Despite the success of the project, the Spartak San Gennaro continues to struggle with structural problems. The main difficulty is the lack of an adequate soccer field. The association was denied access to the Lieti field in Capodimonte, despite having won a municipal tender. The cause? The field was not made accessible by the city administration. For this reason, Luigi Volpe and other representatives of the association, together with mothers and children, protested peacefully in front of the City Council, during a session in which a resolution on the management of the Lieti field was to be voted on.

“We ask the Municipality only for the possibility of using adequate spaces for children to play and build initiatives that unite sport and legality. The Municipality must not abandon children who come from less fortunate backgrounds”, Volpe said. Currently, the association makes do as it can, having the kids train on a small asphalt field inside the “Scugnizzo Liberato” facility, a former juvenile prison transformed into a social space. “We put up the goals and made the area safe, but the pitch is small and made of asphalt”, explains Volpe.