After years of work abroad, in coherence with the values and purpose of the association, Missione Calcutta decided to extend its range of action to Italy, transferring its skills matured abroad into a programme to support children and families in extreme poverty, located in Italy, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 5.5 million people in Italy live in a state of extreme poverty. This means that more than 5 million people cannot afford to pay either the minimum for goods and services that, in the Italian context, are considered essential to lead an acceptable life.
There are about 670,000 people who are living in conditions of extreme poverty in Lombardy and over 180,000 families.
In the province of Bergamo, where Mission Calcutta is based, there are about 27,000 households in extreme poverty, which is about 5.9 per cent of all of them. This is a number that shouldn’t be underestimated, which does not include all families at risk of poverty, i.e. with unstable, poorly paid work and dependent children.
For families with minors, the phenomenon of poverty is not only more frequent but also more intense: there are 762,000 families with minors and in conditions of poverty and vulnerability. Extreme poverty in Italy affects 1,260,000 minors, 12.6% of all the individuals in extreme poverty.
