On 24 August 2016, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit the Apennines Mountains in central Italy, devastating the small towns of Amatrice, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto. 293 lives were lost. In January this year, a further earthquake struck 25km north-west of L'Aquila. Minutes after the quake, and as a direct consequence of it, an avalanche wiped out the Rigopiano Hotel near Gran Sasso mountain. Many more lives were lost.
Since then aftershocks or smaller quakes are nearly an everyday occurrence. But the fear of another "big one" is there and many people have decided to move to safer areas.
Many schools were closed because of structural damage, and most of them are still closed. School children took "prolonged" Christmas holidays and were only able to return to schools once alternative buildings were found for them to be taught in. In some areas, children are using town halls or even stadiums and arenas because no other building is available. In some cases, children take turns at using available buildings and go to school in the afternoons instead of mornings.
Abruzzo is where we come from and our families still live there. My nieces were left without power and water for 2 weeks back in January and both their schools have been closed for a long time following the earthquake.
Carlotta and I have decided we want to help. While we will not run a marathon or climb a mountain or go bungee jumping, there is something we can face without physical harm: music!
So we have enrolled to take the Grade 5 Music Theory exam. It is an infamous exam and we are probably going to fail, but we'll fail with honour! We are working against the clock, the exam is on 17th June, and we are far from ready.
So it's not looking good, but we are not going to be running away.
Please sponsor us! We will donate whatever we can raise to help rebuild the schools in the areas affected by the earthquake. They need all the help we can give.
Thank you
Elettra & Carlotta
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