There is an Italian company that served coffee from the G7 leaders gathered in Umbria last year, which was invited to the United Nations glass palace to talk about work and inclusion and which cooked to the canteen of the Pope’s poor. It is not a multinational, but it is the Breakcotto, a social enterprise in which people with autism are mainly work, born from a courageous intuition of Don Andrea Bonsignoridirector of Cottolengo. A priest who did not stop at charity but wanted to bet on his boys’ abilities, applied to the world of work. “There are the rights and dignity of those who have been considered a” weight to manage “, rather than a resource to be enhanced. I wanted to create a space “he says” where people with disabilities could receive an employment contract, a paycheck, a perspective of the future “. Thus was born the Chicco Cotto Social Cooperative, which has now become the Breakcotto social enterprise.
“Autism can become a competitive advantage,” he says simply. And with pride it shows the results: 16 employees with disabilities, a hundred in training, important customers, sports projects, major events. «But ours is a conquered normality. For each goal there have been two obstacles. And often the biggest is the mentality ». Even today some companies “refuse to collaborate with us when they discover that we are composed of workers in the autistic spectrum. But luckily there are also many who rely on us. Not for pity, but for the quality we offer. Because we focus everything on what people know how to do, not on what he is missing. We try to cut the barriers and treat them like anyone else, proportioning the work to the skills of each. There are no Serie B works. The approach must be of full inclusion, otherwise only a false integration is created, which does not hold over time». For this reason, Don Andrea specifies: «Social is not an investment to lose that companies do to wash image and consciousness, but a productive advantage for the company. And also neurotypical colleagues, like you and I, improve ».
There are stories that speak for themselves. “Like that of Andrea, who started his path in the Ju.co. (Juventus Cottolengo) », says Bonsignori who has a past as a level footballer and rugby player” and today, thanks to his salary, he bought the car. Or that of Martina, who dreamed of being a bartender and today serves coffee in major events, with an apron and a smile that are worth more than a thousand words. And again, that of Luca, who was unable to support a job interview and is now a foreman in catering. Many parents cry when they see their children sign the contract. It is as if the darkness suddenly light up ».
“It is not only the” after us “that we are talking about. It is the during. It is the present. It is the change that changes. We don’t just care to make someone work. We want that person to be an active part of a system that works, which produces value, which returns dignity ». Also for this reason Breakcotto has become main sponsor of Ju.co. youth teams, “supporting a model that integrates work, sport and personal growth. Work creates autonomy, dignity, possibility. Next to this work there are large companies: Catering at the Vatican, Coffee at the G7, the trip to the United Nations. Not to make us beautiful, but to say: we are there. We are a real feat.
And our employees are not figures, they are professionals ». At the New York headquarters they brought their testimony as a virtuous example of work integration. “It was a double goal. Yes, we got there, but above all they got there. And we did it all together. This is Break cooked: we leave together, we get together », Don Andrea says.
Yet despite these successes, the difficulties remain. «Bureaucracy is the first enemy. Taking a person with disabilities can become a company in the company. We need a clearance for intake and respect rigid parameters on the time. With Article 14, for example, the disabled worker must reach at least 50% plus an hour of the national contract. But if the work doctor certifies that that person can only work 20 hours a week, what should I do? Transgress the law or give up offering him an opportunity “? Don Andrea shakes his head. “We should have the courage to simplify the rules, to trust those who, for years, have demonstrated with the facts that doing business with disability is not only possible, it is also right and sustainable”.
Meanwhile, cooked break continues to grow. And to generate true work. “We don’t ask for medals. But at least, if we decide to take someone, we don’t want to have to ask for permission ». In the days of May 1st, of the Jubilee of workers and entrepreneurs, Don Andrea Rilancia: «Our battles are only at the beginning. Because work is not just income. It is hope, identity, future. And nobody should be excluded».
