School reopens on volcanic island of Stromboli for a single pupil

After two decades without a school, the small village of Ginostra on Italy’s volcanic Stromboli island will welcome a single pupil. Six-year-old Aysha is due to begin classes on September 10 in rooms provided by the parish.

Aysha’s parents, a 41-year-old Tunisian man and a 34-year-old Sicilian woman, pushed for the school to reopen. They live in Ginostra, a remote settlement reachable only by sea, where about 40 people remain during winter.

The village has limited infrastructure, including a grocery shop that is often closed. Daily travel to Stromboli or the neighbouring island of Lipari would have been difficult for Aysha because ferry schedules do not match school hours, and winter connections are often restricted.

The family contacted the mayor of Lipari and the provincial school authority in Messina, asking them to establish a primary school branch in Ginostra. The school had closed about 20 years ago. Aysha will now attend it as its only student.