Classes started over a month and a half ago, but the kitchens are still closed. For approximately 400 children attending schools in the municipalities of the Lower Tirso Valley Union, there is no cafeteria. For families in Simaxis, Ollastra, and Zerfaliu, there are a host of inconveniences. Many are now considering moving their children to Oristano. The Union, the organization responsible for the service, has announced that the situation will not change before November 3rd. This is an unsustainable situation, especially for those who work.
"To pick up my three children," one mother vents, "since both my husband and I work until 2:30 PM, we have to ask for help every day. And when relatives aren't available, we have to pay a babysitter." "I don't know what to do anymore. It's not possible to ask my employer for leave every day," another mother continues. " Unfortunately, the children have to leave by 1:00 PM; it's absurd ."
"For elementary school children who attend school two afternoons a week, we can bring a hot meal to school," says a parent. " We still have to organize ourselves: either we cook in the morning at seven o'clock or we have to leave work to bring lunch to school . This is absurd. It's inconceivable that the Union of Municipalities wasn't able to organize itself in time."
Giacomo Obinu, the mayor of Simaxis, the municipality with the largest number of children, is highly critical of the service's management.
He points the finger at the Union of Municipalities: "The company in charge has apparently not yet been able to activate the service due to a lack of reliable data on the number of users involved and a lack of routine maintenance of the premises used for cooking meals," he explains. "As an administration, we are asking for a change of pace so that services can be planned in advance." The president of the Union of Municipalities of the Lower Tirso Valley, Raimondo Deidda, changes his tune: "Our institution is short on staff, and the resulting delays are being extended. However, we are in the process of finalizing the service contract. I apologize to the citizens for the long wait and its consequences. A little more patience is needed. We are available to provide information."
