As of today, in August of 2026, the majority of Melemarze members are under the age of 10. In 2024 the association founded a summer camp with 3 objectives in mind: to help meet the need for childcare in the Subequana valley, to create local employment opportunities, and to foster a fun and educational environment for the kids that live here.
In collaboration with the local municipality, Gagliano Aterno serves as a multifaceted campus in which children explore a wide range of environments and experiences. The base is located in the protected outdoor playground in the center of town, as well as in the neighboring ex-convent of Santa Chiara, where the old bedrooms of the nuns have been turned into spaces dedicated to camp activities for the summer.
Frequent visits are made to the Libreria Simon Tanner, an association in town that has a wide collection of rare and used books, and a welcoming shaded garden with fruit trees. The kids also visit the local bakery each week, where they make pizzas and desserts using traditional methods such as sourdough, wood-fired cooking, and local recipes and ingredients.
They visit the rock climbing wall, accompanied by professional climbers that teach them proper techniques and ensure a safe environment. They explore the nature that surrounds the town, and harvest wild herbs and fruit such as mint for making sun tea, or blackberries and plums for making jam. Many activities focus on making artwork using natural and recycled materials to paint, draw, and build. They also learn craft-based skills such as weaving and sewing. Our aim is to have the kids learn to work with their hands and to play with materials naturally available in the environment.
Each year as the camp grows, we are learning how to improve it in various ways. First and foremost, we are consolidating a team of passionate educators that work to analyze the complex social dynamics, opportunities and challenges, and then brainstorm and implement new strategies and solutions. We strive to create an environment based on trust and respect by encouraging the kids to communicate, contribute their own ideas and explore new spaces, while at the same time creating a structure that maintains security and harmony. Secondly, we are working to create a service that is as economically accessible as possible without compromising quality. We collaborate with the surrounding municipalities to secure financial support for families, and as participation numbers increase, we are able to lower overall costs. However, we must ensure that camp counselors are paid a fair wage for the quality work that they provide, and that the growth of the camp is in line with the spaces and resources available.
As we think back to the original purpose of the association, we realize that working with the kids is an extremely important part of strengthening the habitability and sustainability of this territory. Though the common discourse is that there are no opportunities here, that if a young person wants to build a future then they need to go elsewhere, we are seeing that the summer camp gives the kids a chance to see new value in their home. And the kids from Rome who visit Gagliano in the summer can’t wait to come back each year!
As we explore the town together and the kids develop their skills in cooking, building, and creating, they’ve begun to imagine what they would like to create here in the future: a collection of hammocks between the trees, a treehouse, an expansion of the playground, or the transformation of an abandoned fountain into a swimming pool. Together, we ask ourselves how we can turn these ideas into reality: should we sign a petition to present to the mayor? Should we organize a fundraiser by producing and selling cookies? It’s through this process that we learn to collaborate and strengthen the relationships among ourselves. And in the end, we realize that Gagliano, as depopulated and quiet as it may be, is actually a really cool place to live, a place where you can develop skills, play, build relationships, and imagine a future.
