It was a very hot day in Busto Arsizio on 14 June, when the ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ event took place inside the local prison — an innovative initiative based on the model developed by Bambinisenzasbarre and carried out around Europe by Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE).
Children and adults faced the high temperatures typical of the last days of spring, but with the right precautions, they were able to enjoy two hours of togetherness and sharing —an very important time for both the children and their imprisoned parents.
The children arrived at 9:30 a.m with their companions and, after passing through the security checks, they were escorted to the playing field.
Here, while waiting for their parents, the children passed the time by taking a few penalty kicks. When their fathers arrived, they were greeted with big hugs, smiles and kisses.
After a welcome speech by Natalia Nicolosi, head of the prison’s Treatment Area, the fathers were given blue t-shirts and helped their children put on yellow ones.
One little girl, after greeting her father, immediately showed him a vault she had learned in artistic gymnastics, saying, ‘Did you see what I can do?
Once dressed in their t-shirts, the children and adults lined up on the bright blue prison field to kick off the game. This was more than just a meeting between imprisoned parents and their children — it was a truly exceptional “conversation”, a moment of extraordinary normality within the walls of a prison. GWMD uses play as one of the simplest but most effective tools to improve, strengthen and maintain the bond between children and their imprisoned parents to be improved, following article 9.3 of the UNCRC, a key objective pursued by Bambinisenzasbarre.
The intense heat required more than one break so that adults and children could drink plenty of fluids and cool down.
At the end of the meeting, everyone enjoyed ice cream together under a large umbrella set up at the edge of the pitch by the management of Busto Arsizio prison.
At noon, the children had to say goodbye to their fathers and were accompanied by officers to the exit. As always, it was a very difficult moment, with the children saying goodbye to their fathers and promising to see them again at the next visit.
During the farewell, one of the children turned to his father and asked, ‘Now that I’ve finished school, can we play again next time I come back?
The GWMD in Busto Arsizio was organised by Bambinisenzasbarre with the essential and expert collaboration of its national network partner Cooplotta — which operates in the prison and runs activities in the Spazio Giallo* — and with the active support of Natalia Nicolosi and the management of the city prison.
‘Game with Mum & Dad’ is supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children and in 2024 saw the participation of Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, the United Kingdom (Scotland) and the Netherlands. As in Italy, parents and their children wore specially designed T-shirts with the slogan: “Human rights begin with children’s rights”.
* The Spazio Giallo (Yellow Space) is a child-focused space inside prisons where trained professionals welcome children, prepare them for visits with an imprisoned parent, and help them process the emotional impact of separation.
