Logroño (EFE).- La Rioja will welcome 25 Sahrawi children next summer, 9 of them with disabilities, who will also receive specialized care thanks to the ‘Vacations in Peace’ program.
The president of the Rioja Association of Friends of the Sahara, José Tomás Navajas, has detailed to EFE that the number of host families has decreased significantly this year, compared to the 38 that participated in 2023 in this program.
The objective of this activity is for Sahrawi children to enjoy a summer vacation, both in Logroño and in other towns in La Rioja, away from the harsh living conditions and high temperatures they endure in the refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria). .
The children, between 8 and 12 years old, will spend the months of July and August in La Rioja, where they will be able to participate in recreational activities and undergo medical check-ups thanks to this initiative, which began in 1991 and has only been interrupted for two years. the pandemic.
Tomás Navajas explained that 8 of the children with disabilities will be housed at the Lardero CRMF, and will also receive specific support from entities that work with these people, such as Igual a Ti and Aspace, since four of the minors have cerebral palsy.
Two new host families
He specified that many of the host families repeat their experience with respect to previous editions and there are two new ones who have been encouraged to participate in the ‘Vacations in Peace’ program.
Regarding the decrease in the number of children, he has recognized that it is “complicated” to reconcile the work life of families with foster care for two months and this type of initiative implies “a greater social commitment” than what attending a march entails.
In recent years, La Rioja has been one of the communities that had maintained the reception levels prior to the pandemic, of about 40 children each summer, which is why it has expressed its surprise at this decrease, since the association has carried out a intense campaign to disseminate the program in town halls and educational centers throughout the community in recent months.
“We need a greater push from society, there has been interest in the program, but then it has not materialized in receptions,” he lamented.
Another summer of emotions
At the beginning of July, the 25 children will land at Pamplona airport on a charter flight chartered together with the Navarra association, to share the trip with the little ones who will spend the summer in the Foral Community.
Tomás Navajas added that the association is in charge of finalizing all the necessary permits for the trip and stay of the little ones, with the aim of living “another summer of emotions” thanks to the love and hospitality they receive from the host families and of the entire Riojan society.
