Chat digitali per il contrasto delle povertà relazionali: apprendimenti dalla valutazione quali-quantitativa di un intervento sociale

Like material poverty, relational poverty, is an important source of economic vulnerability and can influence several dimensions related to people's health, well-being, and social participation. This article focuses on “Tavole Allegre”, a programme created by the Ufficio Pio of the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo to combat relational poverty. The programme uses WhatsApp chats facilitated by volunteers on food-related topics. It provides a multidimensional theoretical and operational definition of relational poverty. The results of a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), combined with qualitative analyses of the chats, interviews, and focus groups with implementers and beneficiaries, highlight the programme’s potential and limitations.