Francesca, a 27-year-old woman with Down syndrome, thrives in a supportive community in Catania, Italy, thanks to Futuro21, a local NGO. She lives with six peers of similar age, where several dedicated educators enable them to live independently and manage household tasks and social relationships.
With the support of Futuro21’s Director, Anna Papale, we launched our first “Introduction to Computer Basics” (ICB) course. The course comprised 14 hours of training, spread over seven two-hour sessions across seven weeks. We also provided the necessary equipment for the training at their facility.
The enthusiasm from both students and trainers was palpable. Trainees learned to craft their resumes for the challenges of 2025 and gained skills in Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and Internet navigation.
Francesca, though initially shy, gave a heartfelt interview about the course, her future, and her dream of participating in “Ballando con le Stelle,” an Italian primetime TV show, as a judge. When asked what she wanted to say to the ST Foundation, she warmly replied, “Thank you! And thanks to all the educators and trainers who were so kind and patient with us.”
A special thank you to Futuro21 and our incredible volunteers, without whom this project wouldn’t have been possible: Ilenia Bulla, Francesco Litrico, Santo Vanadia, Giusy Malandrino, Fabio Pelliccia, Rossella Cristaldi, Mirella Negro, Antonio Liotta, Fabio Salvatore Rapisarda, and Isabella Rizzo.
Francesco Litrico, one of our volunteers coordinating our efforts in Italy, is based in Catania and serves as our liaison with Futuro21. We asked him a couple of questions:
What did you like the most? “I loved their enthusiasm in learning how to use Word and Outlook as necessary steps to create their CVs and send them out, which is essential for job hunting in the near future.”
Francesco, what is your best takeaway from this experience? “Volunteering teaches us to appreciate what we have and to see the challenges of others from different perspectives. This helps us cultivate gratitude and develop greater empathy. I think that volunteering is one of the most beautiful forms of selfishness.”
