Vetralla ....... Dying, almost dead

Visit Vetralla, have a meal, buy something. The laissez faire attitude is quite staggering.I waited in La Lanterna restaurant for 45 minutes for fritto misto, deep fried fish, I complained. I was asked to leave, it seems I wanted to cause trouble.<br>
My laptop failed, I went to someone who calls himself a technician who has a little shop. No time he said, what about giving it a quick glance on Sunday said I. Sunday, oh no I don't work on Sunday.
Everywhere they accept that their fate is death, sometimes soon.<br>
Of course they blame anyone and anything, the introduction of the Euro for example.IT, say they, was the cause of consumer price rises when introduced, Italy was not yet. Vetralla certainly was not.
<br>
Can they shake themselves up and put initiatives in place to create much needed jobs. I doubt it.
The whole town is wrapped, enveloped, engulfed in a cloud which is continuing to stifle it. The young people have not one iota of help and inertia shines through in what they do not want to do or seem unable to do for themselves. The older ones don't care, their race is run <br>
The you contrast today here with the 1960 epoc, when the economic miracle happened, it is startling.


What a social disgrace.
1960 showed Italians at their best.

This cloud has enveloped the town

 

The flowers and plants thrive, people wilt

Some voluntary efforts

Peter Francis Some voluntary work in Nigeria

1995 Federal Gov.Majidun Detention Centre, called Training and rehabilitation but in effect homeless, mentally ill and petty criminals were locked up with trial, indefinitely

Lagos outskirts, Ikorudu town Liaising with Catholic Sisters, Weekly, when able, visits with food for 200 or so detained inmates, most of whom were either vagrants or petty criminals picked up by police and send for an indeterminate period to be locked here

1996 to 2000 Partners NGO The Founder a French diplomat was posted from Nigeria and asked me to take over management. The project was rural sanitation hospital rejuvenation provision of wells and pumps for water and and provision of latrines for schools Manged to get VSO London to supply someone a development worker, the first in Lagos for many years from VSO. Vols were French Dutch British

Friends of the Disabled NGO Lagos 1996

Trustee fundraiser Street children provided living centre and workshops and machinery with funding from GTZ Germany

The Kirikiri Initiative

Founded charity school 5 class teachers and an administrator Primary education as children were bottom income group who had not attended school because of poverty. Obtained VSO from London

1996 2003 Support for Human Rights Activists and a Miscarriage of Justice organisation
Helping Nigerian activist and a Priest involved in miscarriage of Justice work

1996 .. sporadic..visits to prisoners on an adhoc basis at Kirikiri Prison, high and medium security wings Prison was built for 600 but housed 1400. High profile politiocal prisoners including those who arranged state assasinations. Working with a Prison Reform Trust guided by a Canadian Abolitionist worker March 2013