During the Christmas season, Oxfam Italia and Mondadori Store — the largest network of bookstores in Italy — will lead an important challenge: helping to ensure inclusive and equal education through the project ‘Wrap a book, gift a future’. 

Until December 24, Mondadori Bookstore customers can have their Christmas gifts wrapped by Oxfam volunteers present at bookstores in major Italian cities participating in the initiative, and make a donation to support projects against dropping out of school and educational poverty that Oxfam Italia promotes in socially marginal contexts. Contributions can be made in stores and online at the dedicated website https://www.oxfamitalia.org/mondadori/.

Oxfam has been active for over 20 years in Italy and around the world with programmes to combat educational poverty and spread the principles of education for global citizenship. It believes access to education is essential in the principles of equity and justice, which must be recognised and guaranteed for individuals living in poor and marginalised social, economic, and cultural conditions. These include Italian and foreign minors at risk of dropping out of school, people outside the education and labour system, families in conditions of poverty, and more generally, individuals and groups at risk of social exclusion.

With its ‘Wrap a book, gift a future’ initiative, Oxfam is committed to a long-term path aimed at the most at-risk groups to improve access to sociocultural services for families in great economic difficulty. Indeed, for four years now, Oxfam, with the support of Mondadori Store, has taken concrete action to contribute to equal access in schools. The funds raised in the past three editions were invaluable for supporting thousands of young people in educational recovery programmes and providing motivational and educational support in middle and high schools.

This year’s Oxfam programme will involve more than 120 schools, 5000 students, and hundreds of teachers. Activities include: paths of educational innovation and opportunities for exchange with other European schools; strong support for students at risk of dropping out of school; make-up courses for language and academic skills in various subjects; and linguistic mediation activities aimed at foreign students. Finally, the programme provides for numerous activities to animate and redevelop the spaces used by young people in and out of schools in various cities.

‘In 2023, school dropout rates in Italy fell to 10.5%, down from the previous two years. This is undoubtedly a positive piece of data, as it confirms that the country is progressively approaching the European objectives of reducing school dropout rates to 9% by 2030,’ explains Roberto Barbieri, General Director of Oxfam Italia. ‘However, our country still holds a sad record with a school dropout rate that ranks fifth among the 27 European states and various gaps that urgently need to be addressed. Social, citizenship, gender, and territorial gaps undermine the future path of millions of girls and boys who risk being left in the margins. This is why we want to thank Mondadori Store. This valuable collaboration enables us to amplify the effectiveness of our work in the country,’ Barbieri concludes.

‘Access to culture and education are rights that cannot be denied due to an individual’s economic capacity. It is essential, therefore, that companies, institutions, schools, and private citizens driven by a sense of social and civil responsibility support those who are less fortunate,’ declares Francesco Riganti, Marketing Director of Mondadori Retail. ‘We at Mondadori Store believe in this principle and are proud to carry out this mission to promote culture together with Oxfam through our national network of bookstores in an inclusive and sustainable way, making the most of our coverage to reach even the smallest towns and the outskirts of the largest cities,’ Riganti concludes.

The Mondadori Store and Oxfam initiative is part of the social responsibility path that Mondadori Group has followed for some time, which also includes a series of activities for community support, from promoting reading and education to training and social/healthcare assistance. In 2022, the Group also launched its first three-year Sustainability Plan, in which strategic areas, quantitative and qualitative targets, and short- and medium-term actions aimed at continuously improving its performance in social, governance, and environmental terms were identified, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainability Goals.

Oxfam Italia
Oxfam is a global movement of people who, in 86 countries around the world, fight inequality to overcome poverty. Oxfam saves and rebuilds lives in emergencies, promotes sustainable development, and fights to build a future without inequalities, where the essential rights of everyone, everywhere, are guaranteed and no one is left behind.

Mondadori Store
Mondadori Store is the largest network of bookstores in Italy: a cultural organisation active nationwide with more than 500 stores, across large cities and small towns alike, and online through the e-commerce website Mondadoristore.it and book club. It supports readers and users through a network that combines books — the core offer — with entertainment, events and multi-channel services, reaching more than 20 million customers each year.

Oxfam Italia Press Office
Mariateresa Alvino – 348.9803541 mariateresa.alvino@oxfam.it
David Mattesini – 349.4417723 david.mattesini@oxfam.it
349.4417723 david.mattesini@oxfam.it