A broken sidewalk? Giovanna, an 87-year-old grandmother from Palermo, took care of fixing it.

Tired of waiting for the municipal workers, this elderly Sicilian woman, armed with a trowel and cement, decided to fix the portion of road in front of her home that had been damaged during the laying of the fiber optic cables.

GRANDMOTHER GIOVANNA PALERMO

GRANDMOTHER REPAIRING THE SIDEWALK

He who does it himself does it three times. This simple adage must have inspired Giovanna, a grandmother from Palermo , who, tired of waiting for the municipal workers, rolled up her sleeves and he fixed the sidewalk in front of her home. Tired of the constant delays, she armed herself with a trowel and cement and repaired the road surface that had been damaged during the laying of fiber optic cables. This damage was culpably left by an administration that, like many others in Italy, is unable to promptly address the normal maintenance of their own streets.

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SENIORS HELPING THE COMMUNITY

A burst of generosity that in an ideal world would not need to be shown but which, in situations like this, helps to understand how much a active citizenship can contribute to the decorum of a city. A good example, in fact, always brings with it a burden of emulation which does not necessarily mean replacing the workers but which can be limited to a greater civic senseFrom recycling to picking up waste paper on the ground, it is the sum of small gestures that makes a community strong and respectful of the place she sharesAll this while waiting for an administration that demonstrates it is worthy of the role it holds.

GRANDMOTHER GIOVANNA PALERMO

Specifically, Giovanna didn't just complain about the poor service; she decided to make herself available, not only for herself, but also for the community that lives on the street where she lives in the Tommaso Natale neighborhood. A neighbor, who took a photo of her and posted it on social media, testified to the excellent work she's done. The paradox, however, is that Giovanna, if the law were strictly followed, she risks being fined for her good deed. Due to a legal short circuit, the grandmother would be punishable by a fine for having "modified" a portion of public land owned by the Municipality of Palermo, namely the sidewalk in question. A mockery against which neighbors and hundreds of Palermo residents are ready to appeal. The hope is that the administration will not only deny this hypothesis, but will also do its utmost to fulfill its duties, allowing Grandma Giovanna to dedicate herself to hercrochet instead of the trowel.

Photo taken from Ivan Denis Tirrito's Facebook page

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