Record year for births in Gergei: thirteen children were born in 2024, compared to three last year, a historic low for the small community of Sarcidano (a thousand inhabitants).
The low birth rate is a common evil for the towns in this area of the island that have been fighting for years to tackle this scourge (the exception is Nurri, which for years – despite the economic crisis – has maintained a nearly stable trend with about twenty births each year). The particularly negative data for 2023 in Gergei had alarmed administrators in view of the maintenance of services, in particular the school: in the town, nursery, primary and secondary schools are holding up, albeit with multi-grade classes. The 13 births this year mark a change of direction for which the mayor Rossano Zedda offers several reasons: first of all, strangely enough, the achievement of a certain economic well-being in the town after years of difficulty. «Work has increased», Zedda analyses: «Young people are investing in the town, they are interested in investments related to the development of the tourism, agricultural and livestock sectors. The mentality is also changing. This has brought stability to people's lives and the awareness of being able to face the expenses that a family may have». Another motivation is certainly devotion to a value that endures beyond time and crisis: that of the family. Older couples but even younger ones desire this type of stability and therefore this also means having children.
Moms in comparison
"My partner Roberto and I have been together for six years," says Maddalena Casu, 24, mother of a two-week-old baby girl: "We both work, we have achieved a certain stability and we felt ready to take this step. Despite the times we are living in, we wanted to be young parents."
Alessandra Atzori is older: she is 39 and had her second child six months ago, while her first child is 4 years old. «The new pregnancy – she confides – was a choice also motivated by economic serenity: my husband and I both work and we can count on services, such as the nursery, active in nearby centers and soon also in Gergei».
The desire for a family and economic stability also helped Maria Alessandra Mesina, 36, and Fabio Lo Giudice, 37, in their choice to have a child: two months ago Greca arrived in their life. "I - says the mother - have a commercial business and for a few years Fabio has also had a stable job. We have been together for a long time, and we have finally decided to start a family: we wanted a future with children but you can't guarantee them stability without a job".
Family and subsidies
For every newborn born in 2024 in Gergei there are as many families, thirteen in all, who have decided to believe in a better future through the eyes of their children. Six are on their second and third child, and nine are made up of couples over 30 but all united by an optimistic spirit and the desire to challenge the fear that often accompanies the idea of having a child.
No less important than well-being and services is the support that couples have from their families of origin. "Having parents close by," Maddalena confirms, "is certainly important."
It seems instead that supports such as the Baby Bonus, Free Nurseries and similar, have only minimally influenced the decision to have a child. "Since we both work - confides Alessandra - the high income does not allow us to benefit from them". The same goes for Maddalena and her partner: she is in fact the owner of a company, he is an employee.
Sonia Joy