Silvia Polleri Rho is 65 years old and has been married to Benedetto Rho since 1975. They have two children, Michele 38 y.o., Pietro 30 y.o., one daughter in law, and two grandchildren, Giacomo and Tommaso. For twenty-two years she was educator in State nursery schools, and later a she became a freelancer in catering and public relations.

From 1960 to 1975 she was active in Scouting, first in AGI and then in AGESCI (Association of Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts).

From 1977 to 1979 she spent a year in Uganda with a family doing her civil service, sent by CUAMM, a NGO recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a coordinator of health educators in the field of preventive medicine for children.

She was a member of the Circolo Società Civile and a member of the Opera Nomadi. Silvia founded LPS, an association that deals with providing support to families who are faced with the malformation of the cleft lip and palate.

In 1993 she was the Chairman of the Electoral Committees for the election campaign of mayor Nando dalla Chiesa.

From 1992 to 2002 she was involved in catering for mainly private, high-profile events.

Since 2004, she has been working full time as the head and founder with inmates and outside of the catering social cooperative abc la sapienza in tavola at the prison of Bollate.

Today, the cooperative has set up more than 550 events for conventions, weddings, gala dinners, and private events, all high-profile, employing staff held in the House of Detention of Milan Bollate.

Some data: in the last ten years, 50 prisoners have been employed of which 5 have been reconvicted. Italian prisons have a recidivism rate of 68%, whereas Bollate drops below 20%.