"Life has two precious gifts: beauty and truth. The first I found in the heart of those who love, and the second in the hand of those who work," wrote the poet Khalil Gibran.

People who have overcome great hardship are often those who love life most, because they fully recognise its value. They are also often those with the most love to give, because they know the urgency of being loved. The need to be appreciated for who they are, without pretence. And sometimes it is precisely through what they do that they truly manage to express who they are.

What is Opera in fiore

Opera in fiore is a non-profit social cooperative founded in Milan in 2004 to help men and women in search of an opportunity – including people with disabilities, prisoners, homeless people and migrants – to find work, primarily in green maintenance, through the creation and upkeep of gardens, parks and terraces, urban regeneration, and the sale of outdoor and indoor plants, which can also be delivered to your home, as well as agri-food products.

The staff employed, with varying levels of training and experience, work under the coordination of highly qualified professional personnel who have graduated from the Scuola agraria del parco di Monza. The team also includes agronomists, botanists and social educators.

The cooperative's mission

Opera in fiore's goal is to fight racism, prejudice and discrimination, promoting social inclusion, respect for justice and, alongside it, respect for the environment. In Milan, at via Ettore Ponti 13, the cooperative manages a community greenhouse where the use of toxic pesticides is prohibited, and ladybirds are "recruited" to feed on the parasites that harm plants.

"This project gives me the chance to live," says Paolo, one of the gardeners who tends to green spaces in the Lombard capital every day, with professionalism and passion. "It has given me a way to grow, but above all it gives me the chance to look after myself. It might sound trivial, but many jobs force you to stay indoors, whereas working in nature lets you breathe."

The non-profit, which enables companies to comply with Law 68/99 on the right to employment for people belonging to protected categories, actively collaborates with a network of businesses and private entities, public bodies and third-sector organisations at local, national and international level.

Borseggi, a tailoring workshop inside Milan-Opera prison

One of the projects run by the cooperative is Borseggi, a tailoring workshop inside Milan-Opera men's prison, a fully fledged brand that identifies the items handmade by the inmates. The prisoners are thereby given the opportunity to test themselves in craft activities, embarking on a journey into circular economy.

Our mission is the social inclusion of disadvantaged people through work.

Orto cucito

Within the shared garden Milano green way, beneath the ring of the Navigli canals, Orto cucito has recently been established – a project curated by Caterina Fumagalli that involves the cultivation of vegetables, aromatic plants and edible flowers, and the sharing of the space with local residents through craft workshops, educational workshops, masterclasses, art installations, meditation sessions and walks in the green.

Barbara's story

"Until a few months ago, my life was completely different," confesses Barbara, a trans woman of extraordinary courage. "I was homeless, like so many others. Then I met someone who, without any kind of prejudice, suggested I change my life through a job. At first it all seemed almost like a fairy tale, until, little by little, I realised it was real."

Out there are many people who, like flowers, are ready to bloom. They just need someone to give them this chance.