Born within the Diocese of Ragusa (Sicily) the project “Costruiamo Saperi” (Building Knowledge), funded by the Foundation with the South and intended to fifty foreigners – selected through a public call – coming from 14 countries and 4 continents, who will be trained to self-entrepreneurship. Since November 2015, when the training workshop have started, 30 men and 20 women are facing a year of preparation, followed by a period of scholarship, intended to give them the tools of knowledge required to create new agricultural cooperatives and construction industry.

The property of the Diocese support the project, the beautiful Tenuta Magni, a short walk distant from Ragusa, and 10 hectares of land that will become a testing ground for future entrepreneurs. A place that aims to be not only a source of beauty, but livelihood. The workshop in the historical center, meeting place and a temporary store, will support the project too.

Cooperation among foreign nationals and Italian citizens is the main tool for the enhancement of human dignity as well as for the professional growth of both parties. The proposed training, rather than being an answer to job search, is an investment in quality, having the ambition to train motivated and refined craft skills people. An example? The crops of saffron, “Cottoia” fava bean of Modica, “Cosaruciaro” bean of Scicli, the old cabbage of Rosolina, the chuckling vetch, the large fava bean and the black chickpea of Leonforte – all marked as Slow Food productions.

Part of the work will see participants engaged in the architectural redevelopment of Villa Magni, that step by step will grow its potential as a place of culture, dating, aggregation and knowledge.

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