An beer which tastes of hops but above all of redemption and inclusion. We are in Cinisi, Sicily, where 11 boys with the down syndrome have created, after a theoretical and practical training course, their "first" beer, the T21 (indicating trisomy 21, the Down syndrome they suffer from). Indeed, three beers of different types, of 150 bottles each. Thanks to the support of the Bruno Ribadi brewery, 450 bottles have contained dreams and hopes of entering the world of work.
A project to remember also on the occasion of World Down Syndrome Day, which is celebrated on March 21 of each year, established in 2011 by the United Nations with the aim of increasing awareness of Down syndrome, breaking down prejudices and stereotypes still present in society and promote an inclusive culture of diversity.
TRI21, the solidarity beer for the redemption and inclusion of 11 young people from Cinisi
The boys and girls involved in the project are part of the amateur sports association "Sport21 Sicily” of Palermo led by Giampiero Gliubizzi and the Italian Association of Downs of Termini Imerese, chaired by Ignazio Cusimano, who have signed an agreement with the Bruno Ribadi company of Terrasini, in the Palermo area. The young people were trained by the brewery managers Vito and Giuseppe Biundo, they participated in all phases: starting from the knowledge of the raw material to the production, from the bottling to the creation of the labels. “We realized that sport alone could not complete the lives of these kids – said Gliubizzi – so we thought of starting a project to train these kids in a rapidly expanding sector such as that of craft beer. The aim is their future employment”.
Projects for the future
The project was financed by the regional family council to support the social inclusion of children with around 40 euros. In recent months, the blonde, amber and red T21 were born. This is the beginning of a project that involves a stable production and a Ads where young people can be employed and where their beer can be served. The goal is to be able to realize what is a life project that gives them motivation as well as the necessary economic support. Other Sicilian companies took part in the solidarity initiative, including Auroflex of Alcamo which provided free graphic printing of the labels.
