They have grinded for miles to study elsewhere, thinking of building their future away from home. But then the sense of belonging and also an understandable nostalgia made themselves felt.
So these Southern girls have decided to go back to where they started from. But with an extra gear and the desire to change things. They have used the skills acquired to open their own business. They are the girls from the South who, contrary to statistics, have returned to their countries of origin. From the field of fashion to that of craftsmanship, from the agricultural sector to that of biomedicine, they have given shape to original and innovative ideas by taking advantage of the funds made available to encourage business creation among young people. (invitalia.it)
The South, in particular Puglia, is one of the regions most attentive to enhancing young talents
Ada Potenza, Vanessa Coppola, Rosa Vaglio are three girls from the South who fled their countries to study but the love for the South, the sense of belonging to their homelands were so strong that they returned.
Ada, 31, graduated in Industrial Biotechnology in Bari, followed a business course in California. Together with two other girls she founded one startups in the biomedical field. They focus on bladder cancer by boosting an existing chemotherapy drug.
The girls have decided to invest in the South because Italy is second to none in pharmaceutical research. In Puglia there are many calls that are a good opportunity to set up on your own.
The South and the value of the land
Vanessa, 30, graduated in Economics and Management at the University of Salento. Thanks to a scholarship, he continued his studies in Warsaw, Berlin and Brussels. Abroad, she understood that she did not have to chase after a steady job, but to create a job on her own. She is one of the founders of Vinoled, a start-up that creates “smart” bags. They are equipped with LED light, wireless charger and GPS to geolocate the bag in case of theft or loss.
Vanessa has decided to invest in the South to give value to the land where she was born and to create jobs for young people.
A social agriculture project in the South to restore dignity to exploited workers
Pink, 35, graduated in Literature in Milan and specialized in teaching for foreigners. He has created a cooperative for the production of tomato sauce. It is a social agriculture project carried out by two local realities: Rights in the South and NetZanet Solidaria. Rosa, together with the workers, plant, harvest and process the tomato, then taking care of the distribution and sale.
A commitment that involves people who were previously exploited: African laborers but also Italians.
Rosa has decided to invest in the South because, staying far away, she has understood that her Region has a lot of potential. And the land is the first resource to start from.
