Local initiatives in Spain

EVEHO Foundation in Barcelona hosted two volunteers from Colombia (Ferney) and one from Mexico (Lizeth and Francisco), and they were volunteering in different EVEHO projects.

Ferney, the volunteer from Colombia, coordinated with youngster from Catalunya that wanted to establish an association; he helped former children in care to set up the organisation UJEC and was with them through this first phase. The association was born to meet the need of guaranteeing the resources and basic needs of young people who, at the age of 18, leave the public tutelage system abruptly. First, the collective claims that there is a sufficient and equal material endowment to ensure full employment and social inclusion. In addition, they intend to make visible and destigmatize these youngsters. On the other hand, the young promoters of the association want to share their stories and strategies of success to the people in charge, emphasizing the need to develop their autonomy and entrepreneurial capacity. Finally, a primary objective is to collaborate with other entities and especially with public institutions so that there is a real protection of the rights of the ex-guardians.

All the volunteers hosted in EVEHO carried out workshops and activities in Eveho centres for unattended children. Lizeth was assigned in a different centre in the city of Sabadell, close to Barcelona, in a home in which moms with less opportunities are host. The volunteer conducted plenty of workshop with the moms and babies, and she would also look after the older children in holiday camps (“esplais”), where she was designing and implementing the activities planning.

Francisco, the volunteer from Chiapas in Mexico, was performing his volunteering tasks in a CRAE (a centre for orphans or unattended children) in a city next to Barcelona. He was helping out the social workers and educators with the everyday tasks with the children living there.