Earthquake of 5.9 magnitude removes a Village off the face of the earth.
Onna re-visited ten months on !
Inauguration of the first major project of 41 International.

Our mission was one of joy, it was to see the folding out of a dream that a young architectural student from Rome had had. Giulia Carnevale, who was terribly crushed and perished to death in this earthquake, She together with many other students died in Aquila on April the 6th at 3.00 am.
Miraculously her Laptop was found in good condition within the crushed wreck of her car, under the rubble that used to be the beautiful historical city of Aquila. Upon opening it up they found her ideas and designs, these have been adopted to build a new Youth Centre and also a new School nursery in the village of Onna, where 41 young people died out of a population of about 300. These buildings will now be an everlasting remembrance to this young woman.
The old Church Bell from the 18th century was found intact under the rubble of the Church and now hangs, for me tragically, in a small belfry just in front of Guilia’s Youth Centre.

Blue skies and brilliant sunshine were to accompany the 41 INTERNATIONAL President John Bellwood and the 41 INTERNATIONAL Secretary Bob Parton on their privileged journey to the little village of Onna only a few kilometres away from L’Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. We were greeted and hosted supremely by our ever friendly 41 Members from the 41 Club Teramo and well known members from the National Italian Board. This was to be the inauguration of the Youth Centre which 41 Italy and 41 International together with Ladies circle and Agora Italy had donated to the people of Onna.

On receiving the terrible news about the earthquake, the members of the nearby 41 clubs in Ascoli Piceno and Teramo, set about a program of sensitization in order to collect donations to help the sufferers in this devastated area. With a joint effort, in the true interests of 41 International together with with Ladies Circle Club, Club 41 and Agora Club, began the successful appeal to collect sponsorships from all over the world for this needy cause.

Complements must go to all who have helped with this project, above all to the strength of Guilia’s father who directed most of the building of both the School and the Youth centre. This has been with great success, despite the emotional pressures, that he must have had to live through.
Giulia parents, despite their own personal tragedy, devoted so much time and effort so that so many other people can enjoy their lives better even though their daughter did not live to fulfil her ideas.

Clearance work has not yet been completed, particularly in the middle of the village, and much of the destruction can still be seen, but to the west of the old Village the Red Cross have built an emergency houses where life is beginning to reform itself. However looking into the eyes of the inhabitants of the village today you could still sense the pain and wounds that were still visible, nobody smiles, they are just there, and by the grace of god, still alive.

All service facilities like Water, Electricity and the infrastructure are good. Fortunately the Motorways and also the Railway network was not damaged so that emergency services, even from as far away as Rome were available soon after the earthquake had happened.

The pictures of the new housing estate that has been built just outside of the village illustrates the work and technical building progress that has been made, these flats are floating on a plate and are sprung on metal pillars so that any future earthquake should at least secure these building to their foundations.

The Mayor of Aquila also gave much assistance and insisted upon an uncomplicated approach to the legislative matters. Not the least was the German Ambassador in Italy, Michael Steiner, who has promised much help from his country. Celso Cioni ex tabler presented the Italian 41 President, Augusto Ferrari with the virtual cheques received from the German and Austrian Associations in occasion of their AGMs last June.
I cannot go without mentioning a few other names who have done so much for the realisation of this project. Amongst the 41 Italian Members I think of ; Diego Giacoboni, Augusto Ferrari, Carlo Bertoli, Paolo Pisani ,Maurizio Vettori, Duccio Arrighi,
Paolo Bonagura and Bruce Morgan, and of course, the local Onna Round Tabler Celso Cioni.

Thank you 41 Italia for your efforts, this is a new side of 41 International that I would like to see more of what can be realised with the help of our other sister clubs.

Bruce Morgan wrote to 41 INTERNATIONAL and said to us simply “be proud” dear Bruce, dear 41 Members of 41 Club Italia, we are indeed proud of what you have realised with this project.

Bob Parton
Secretary 41 INTERNATIONAL
Bruce Morgen
IRO 41 Club Italia