«Hi, I’m Paolo Catinari. I don’t talk much, but I have lots of ideas. Indeed, only one, fixed! I want to restore this farmhouse to make it a farmhouse with accommodation and kitchen. From May 1st you will be able to help me realize my project on UpWithDown.it”, defined as “the business platform with the most geniuses” and launched by Aipd (Italian Association of People with Down Syndrome), alongside families for over 45 years to build autonomy paths oriented towards inclusion and active participation.
Produzioni Dal Basso, the first Italian crowdfunding and social innovation platform, started at the beginning of May. raising funds for some business projects that will provide work to those with trisomy 21focusing first and foremost on their ideas and skills mixed with their talents: after having been reviewed and perfected by Aipdthe entrepreneurial projects that so far are waiting to be financed by individual supporters or companies have already been published on the dedicated page. Developed together with the communication agency Anema District, the “UpWithDown” project can count on the participation of the Municipality of Rome, which will help raise awareness of the platform thanks to a communication campaign from 11 to 17 May, through billboards, LED publications and radio broadcasts.
Of the 12 proposals received from October to today, 2 have been selected. The first project is that of Paolo, 26 year old originally from Fermowho is working in a fresh pasta production laboratory with catering. After having attended the hotel institute and having trained through internships and experience, he would like to use his skills to try his hand at a farmhouse with rooms and a restaurant, where he can live and work together with other people with and without disabilities. A dream he has cultivated for years: during the pandemic he had drawn on a piece of paper a field with animals, a building with rooms and a restaurant. «We understood that it is a true and healthy desire, which is worth its future and its autonomy, even when we are no longer here. And for this reason we decided to help him realize it”, says his father Massimo. So in 2022 the family purchased land with two hectares of olive trees and a farmhouse in the Marche region, in Monte Vidon Corrado, starting all the necessary procedures for the renovation.
«We worked a lot with Paolo and his family, examining and verifying the validity of the project. Today we can say that we are certain that this project deserves to be supported. We are confident that he will find financiers ready to support him and we can’t wait to participate in the inauguration, to which Paolo promised to invite us”, he says Daniele Castignanirepresentative of the Up with Down platform for the national Aipd. AND Gianfranco Salbinipresident of the national Aipd, invites all people with Down syndrome with an entrepreneurial idea to «not be frightened by obstacles and risks, but have confidence in yourself and rely on our associationwithout allowing fear and insecurity to take a step backwards. We also tell families: the future and independence are built day after day, step by step, through courageous choices that take us out of our comfort zone and project us towards the future. This is why we expect many new ideas to knock on our door, asking to be supported.”
«Hi, I’m Alice. I’m currently selling clothes on Vinted in my tavern. When I go around shipping your orders, I feel like a true entrepreneur. What if all this became even more true? My dream is to have a physical place where I can sell second hand clothes. I love daydreaming. I saw some places that could become my workplace and I imagine myself in there collaborating with other people: it would be wonderful!”, says Alice Gennaro, a 22-year-old from Prato, in a reel on Instagram. After graduating from the Marconi technical institute and finding fame as the first voice actress with Down syndrome in Italy (two years ago she lent her voice to the protagonist of the Spanish film “Valentina”, winner of the 2022 Goya Award for best animated film), the girl became an influencer: his Instagram profile, which he uses professionally to promote his business, has almost 35 thousand followers, while on Vinted he has excellent reviews. Passionate about fashion, make up and cinema, she tries to satisfy customers by selling used and vintage clothing. «Thanks also to the help of my mother and some friends, I created a space in our garage, where I keep clothes, wash them and prepare them for shipping. I have a desk with a computer, a wardrobe, a washing machine and boxes to prepare packages.” But he would like to turn this work into a business.
