H.R.Y.O. Human Rights Youth Organization

What H.R.Y.O. Human Rights Youth Organization does

H.R.Y.O. Human Rights Youth Organization (HRYO) is an Italian non-profit association (Associazione di Promozione Sociale, codice fiscale 97234960827) founded in 2009 and headquartered in Palermo, Sicily. It delivers human-rights education, youth mobility and social-inclusion programs, with its primary beneficiaries being young people aged 18–30 (Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps participants), women and girls in vulnerable conditions, children aged 5–10 at risk of school dropout, and the local community of disadvantaged Palermo neighbourhoods such as Cruillas. The organization also runs an annual Premio Rosa Parks award and a Universal Civil Service program.

HRYO's core operating asset is Terra Franca, a mafia-confiscated property assigned to it in free use by the Comune di Palermo in 2019 and converted into a multifunctional permaculture, environmental-education and youth-empowerment hub featuring an organic citrus grove, educational pond, biodiversity greenhouse, chicken coop, holistic apiary (Top Bar/Kenyota natural beekeeping) and training spaces. On top of this physical platform it has layered a portfolio of programs: Bee Woman and Think Before to Share (24-month Erasmus+ INAPP projects on beekeeping and digital/AI literacy for migrant women in Italy, Spain and Greece); Alveare (PNRR-funded environmental education and dropout prevention for ~150 children); I Love Sicily (female entrepreneurship, funded by Regione Siciliana); Perma-Youth (KA220 Erasmus+ project producing an e-learning platform with Irish, Spanish, Portuguese and Greek partners); Ecologie Urbane (YOU(th) CARE for CHANGE, urban regeneration with COSPE ETS); and the Terra Franca Memoria Digitale open-air digital museum (PNRR/Next Generation EU, built with Invitalia, inaugurated June 2025).

The business model is grant-based and donation-based, not commercial. HRYO is funded through EU programs (Erasmus+ via INDIRE/ANG/INAPP, European Solidarity Corps, PNRR/Next Generation EU), Italian and Sicilian institutional grants (Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù, Dipartimento per le Politiche di Coesione e per il Sud, Regione Siciliana, Tribunale di Palermo), private foundation support (notably Unione Buddhista Italiana via 8 per mille funds for Bee Woman), and individual donations including the Italian 5x1000 tax designation. All programs are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries; the organization holds Erasmus+ Youth accreditation, the European Solidarity Corps Quality Label, and Erasmus per Giovani Imprenditori accreditation, which collectively gate access to its funding streams. The president is Marco Farina; the organization has 14 employees and operates from Terra Franca in Cruillas and Al Vicolo in central Palermo (opened December 2024).

Name

H.R.Y.O. Human Rights Youth Organization

Legal name

H.R.Y.O. Human Rights Youth Organization A.P.S.

Website

https://hryo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HRYO is an Italian non-profit association founded in 2009 in Palermo, delivering human-rights education, EU-funded youth mobility, and social-inclusion programs (Bee Woman, Alveare, Perma-Youth, I Love Sicily) for young people, migrant women, children and local communities, anchored to its Terra Franca hub on confiscated mafia land.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Community Development Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAE

Education Access & Quality (International Development)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPADABAK

Gender Equality, Inclusion & Social Protection Programs

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Bilateral Development Agencies & Aid Programs

SECONDARYBPADALAO

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

Keywords

• Youth empowerment programs
• Non-formal education services
• Human rights advocacy
• Social inclusion programs
• Environmental community education

Headquarters

HQ city

Palermo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. European Funding Programs: HRYO operates primarily through grants and funding from European Union programs including Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, and PNRR/Next Generation EU. These funds finance youth mobility, training, social inclusion, and environmental projects.
2. Government and Institutional Funding: Support from Italian national and regional institutions including Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù, Regione Siciliana, Dipartimento per le Politiche di Coesione e per il Sud, and local municipalities for specific social and educational programs.
3. Private Foundation Grants: Funding from organizations like Unione Buddhista Italiana (8 per mille funds) for specific projects such as Bee Woman focusing on women's empowerment and beekeeping training.
4. 5x1000 Donations: Italian taxpayers can designate HRYO as recipient of 5x1000 tax contributions using fiscal code 97234960827.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

H.R.Y.O. delivers a portfolio of free, EU- and government-funded social programs centered on human rights education, youth empowerment, and community development. Its flagship offering is Terra Franca, a multifunctional community hub established on mafia-confiscated land in Palermo featuring permaculture gardens, an apiary, educational spaces, and a digital open-air museum. Complementing programs include beekeeping training for vulnerable women (Bee Woman), environmental education against school dropout (Alveare), female entrepreneurship training (I Love Sicily), permaculture education (Perma-Youth), and urban ecology projects (Ecologie Urbane).

Product overview

H.R.Y.O. Human Rights Youth Organization is a non-profit association (APS - Associazione di Promozione Sociale) founded in 2009, operating primarily in Sicily, Italy. The organization does not offer a unified technology product but rather delivers a portfolio of social programs centered on human rights education, youth empowerment, and community development. The core offering is Terra Franca, a community space on mafia-confiscated land serving as an educational hub for permaculture and social inclusion, complemented by the digital museum Terra Franca Memoria Digitale. Key programs include Bee Woman (beekeeping training for migrant women), Alveare (youth education against school dropout), youth exchanges under Erasmus+, I Love Sicily (female entrepreneurship), Perma-Youth (permaculture education), and the Rosa Parks Award. The organization also provides Universal Civil Service opportunities and non-formal education services. Funding comes primarily from EU programs (Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, Next Generation EU), Italian government agencies, and private foundations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Terra Franca: A multifunctional community space on mafia-confiscated property in Palermo's Cruillas neighborhood, dedicated to social inclusion, environmental education, permaculture, and youth empowerment. Features an apiary, educational greenhouse, community garden, and digital museum.
• Terra Franca Memoria Digitale
• Al Vicolo
• Premio Rosa Parks

Products and services

• Terra Franca Multifunctional community space on mafia-confiscated land in Palermo's Cruillas district serving as an educational hub for permaculture, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and active citizenship, including an apiary, citrus grove, educational greenhouse, chicken coop, and pottery oven.
• Terra Franca Memoria Digitale Digital open-air museum created with Invitalia and financed by PNRR – Next Generation EU, featuring multimedia and virtual reality experiences about confiscated properties, anti-mafia efforts, biodiversity, and inclusion.
• Bee Woman Professional training program for migrant women survivors of trafficking or gender-based violence, focused on beekeeping and natural beekeeping methods (Top Bar/Kenyota hive system), apitherapy, and micro-enterprise development in the api sector.
• Alveare Initiative combating school dropout, bullying, and social exclusion among children aged 5-10 through educational activities combining cultural education, environmental education, and academic support, in partnership with schools and local associations.
• Youth Exchanges (Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps) International youth mobility programs under Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps, facilitating intercultural dialogue, active citizenship, and non-formal education exchanges for young people aged 18-30 across 14+ European countries.
• I Love Sicily Regional project supporting female entrepreneurship through practical and collective training, funded by the Sicilian Region's Youth Policies Department.
• Perma-Youth European project developing methodologies to integrate permaculture values and ethics into youth work practices, creating a Training Course and e-learning platform in partnership with organizations in Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.
• Ecologie Urbane Urban ecology project focused on healing paths for youth and territory in Palermo, including rewilding activities, seed bombs, bee houses, and social market initiatives.
• Non-Formal Education Programs Educational methodology based on non-formal education as the principal approach for all HRYO activities, promoting human rights, inclusion, and social empowerment across local and international projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87 participants trained through 4 activities in 2023-2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Unione Buddhista Italiana (U.B.I.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian Buddhist Union founded in Milan in 1985. Major funder of social projects including Bee Woman for women's empowerment. Co-finances initiatives using 8 per mille tax designation. Provides ongoing financial and philosophical support for HRYO's social mission.
• punto.sudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational development organization with 15+ years of experience working in partnership across 4 continents and 50+ countries. Implements projects in civil society, social business, migration, and research.
• INDIREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Erasmus+ Agency for Italy, implementing European education, training, youth and sport programs for 2014-2020 period. Supports youth mobility and non-formal education initiatives.
• Agenzia Nazionale per i Giovani (ANG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian public body under Government and European Commission supervision. Managing authority for Erasmus+ youth chapter and European Solidarity Corps in Italy since December 2018.
• InvitaliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian development agency managing PNRR funding. Signed convention with HRYO for creation of Terra Franca Digital Museum, financed under Next Generation EU.
• APS BooqminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation collaborating with HRYO on creation of a mobile neighborhood nature library at Terra Franca, promoting reading, creativity, and collective growth.
• MaghwebcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunication and social enterprise that co-designs visual identity with project beneficiaries. Working on Bee Woman project platform and providing communication/marketing training to participants.
• Thardo Ling AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuddhist center in Palermo mountains practicing permaculture. Partner in Permayouth project providing permaculture education and hosting training activities.
• The Rural Hub CLG (Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish partner in Permayouth project (KA220). Focuses on rural development and permaculture education for youth workers.
• Asociacion Cultural y Medioambiental Permacultura Cantabria (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish partner in Permayouth project specializing in environmental permaculture. Contributes expertise in sustainable agricultural and social practices.
• Rightchallenge - Associação (Portugal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese partner in Permayouth project. Works on youth empowerment and social development through non-formal education.
• Cinergies Co-Op (Greece)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek partner in Permayouth project. Contributes expertise in community development and permaculture education in Southern Europe.
• Regione SicilianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government of Sicily. Funder of I Love Sicily project for female entrepreneurship and other regional initiatives.
• Dipartimento per le Politiche di Coesione e per il SudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian government department managing cohesion policies. Funder of Alveare project through Next Generation EU for child education and social inclusion.
• Coop ValdibellaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural cooperative in Camporeale focused on sustainable farming and biodiversity. HRYO participates in collective purchasing project to preserve agricultural land and promote sustainable practices.
• Tribunale di PalermominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalermo court system. Agreement allows beneficiaries of alternative sentencing to perform community service at HRYO/Terra Franca, promoting social reintegration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AICS: Italian Agency for Development Cooperation — a public body that funds and oversees international cooperation projects including those of HRYO. Comparable as it channels the same EU/Italian government funding that HRYO depends on.
• Caritas Italiana: Italy's largest Catholic social services organization addressing poverty, migration, and social exclusion. Much larger and broader than HRYO, but addresses overlapping beneficiary populations (migrants, trafficking survivors, vulnerable youth) with similar non-formal support and inclusion methodology.
• ActionAid Italia: Italian branch of an international NGO focused on human rights, youth empowerment, and social inclusion with comparable grant-funded project delivery and European footprint.

Direct peers

• CIES Onlus: Italian NGO dedicated to international education, development cooperation, and youth mobility. Comparable APS-style structure and Erasmus+ delivery model with broader geographic reach than HRYO.
• COSPE: Italian NGO running EU-funded international development and youth projects; explicitly named as coordinator of HRYO's YOU(th) CARE for Change funding line. Same APS-style governance, same EU grant dependency, similar Mediterranean geographic footprint.
• Legambiente: Italy's largest environmental organization with strong Sicily presence. Overlaps directly with HRYO's permaculture, biodiversity, and climate-action programming at Terra Franca, and competes for similar Italian/EU environmental funding lines.
• CESIE: Palermo-based ETS that, like HRYO, delivers Erasmus+ youth projects, non-formal education, and social inclusion programs across Europe. Identical funding model (EU grants), identical geography (Sicily), and near-identical beneficiary focus on marginalized youth make CESIE the closest direct comparable.
• Libera Terra Mediterraneo: Italian cooperative network using assets confiscated from the mafia for agricultural and social purposes. Highly comparable to HRYO's Terra Franca model — same anti-mafia asset reuse thesis, same Sicily roots, complementary partnership candidate.
• Associazione ARCI: Large Italian APS network promoting social promotion, cultural activities, and civic engagement. Shares HRYO's APS legal status and grassroots community-program delivery model, though at much larger scale.
• Punto.Sud: Italian/European NGO with 15+ years of international development experience in 50+ countries. Active HRYO partner on multiple projects. Operates the same civil society + migration + social business model with shared EU funding streams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HRYouthOrganization
• Facebookfacebook.com/hryo.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/h.r.y.o
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/h-r-y-o-human-rights-youth-organization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about H.R.Y.O. Human Rights Youth Organization