Mapei and Gomitolorosa: together for the "Free to be well" solidarity project

Mapei's support for the solidarity initiatives of Gomitolorosa, the philanthropic organisation which, through the promotion of knitting, supports various campaigns for the wellbeing of the weakest and solidarity towards them, continues. This year, Mapei employees are invited to take part in the "Free to be well" project, in support of women prisoners in Italy's women's prisons, in collaboration with the Human Age Institute Foundation and the Severino Foundation.

The initiative involves a series of activities which focus on raising awareness in women's prisons on the subject of breast cancer prevention. Mapei employees, using balls of wool provided by the association, have the opportunity to make rose-shaped bracelets with needles and crochet hooks, to be donated as a sign of solidarity to the female inmates on the occasion of the coming Pink October, the month dedicated to the prevention of breast cancer, whose symbolic colour is pink.

The aim of the project is to support women prisoners and to convey useful information to them about prevention. During the month of October, through dedicated appointments, breast doctors will meet women in prison to instruct them to perform a periodic breast examination on their own. Among the project's activities, finally, there is also a lanatherapy workshop set up within the prisons, with the aim of providing inmates with a therapeutic tool useful for restoring their psycho-physical balance.

The project will initially reach the women of the Rebibbia Women's Prison in Rome, and will then continue with other institutes and districts located throughout Italy. Inside the women's section of the Rebibbia prison, in 2020 Mapei donated its products for the construction of the Family House, an all-wood structure destined for meetings between female inmates and their families.