This week we’re hearing once again from MVP and IT specialist Vito Macina. Hailing from the Southern Italian city of Bari, Vito is no stranger to our blog thanks to his role with the inspiring training program "Ricomincio da Me" which assisted sufferers of breast cancer as they reentered the world of work in 2019.
More recently, the group has found new life online by guiding all women through the fears and anxieties of quarantine.
“As a result of the pandemic, a devastating economic crisis has arisen and the world of work has become more critical,” Vito says. “Some of these women have lost their jobs and others have decided to change it thanks to the important reflections that the moment of crisis has brought. Thus, the online edition of "Ricomincio da me" presented itself as a short training focused entirely on resilience.”
Ten women from the Italian cities Bari, Taranto, Matera and Brindisi used Microsoft Teams to reconnect during this trying period. During the live broadcasts of "Ricomincio da Me" -- which roughly translates to “Starting Over With Myself” -- much of the time was spent listening to the experiences of one another and offering guidance on both the professional and the personal.
“After the "Ricomincio da me" course in the classroom, the online version was a pleasant surprise, a breath of fresh air, because it came at a time dark enough for all of us -- lockdown,” says group member Halyna.
“For me, it was very stimulating to acquire new information, to deepen the knowledge I already had, and to compare myself with really smart women who have had similar experiences to mine. These meetings encouraged me and gave me the motivational charge I was losing," she says.
Fellow member Palma agrees: “Just when you thought you were living in isolation with individual management of the unknowns and phobias, a window suddenly opened that brought light, passion, stimuli, reflections and cultural and managerial insights.”
Vito, who received the first of six MVP awards in 2015, in categories Windows and Devices for IT, says he enjoyed using his skill set to instruct the group on digital transformation and its ability to drive real change towards new opportunities.
While the project is currently on pause, group organizers Alessandra Campanile and Stefania Lacriola are working to make it possible in the near future. For more, visit the "Ricomincio da Me" website.
