This week, 37 Saharawi children touched down at Alicante-Elche Airport, the latest group to earn a well-earned break on the Costa Blanca, as part of the “Holidays in Peace” program.
Their arrival is organised by Sahara Alicante Coordinator with a grant of 15,000 euro from the Alicante Provincial Council and own funds from the federated NGOs.
The Sahrawis, or Sahrawi people, are an ethnic group and nation native to the western part of the Sahara Desert, which includes the Western Sahara, southern Morocco, much of Mauritania, and along the southwestern border of Algeria.
Ainhoa Pérez, a member of the program and coordinator of Associations of Friendships with the Saharawi people, explains that “after the pandemic they started with small groups and now the number is rising.”
This time, there are nine-year-old boys and girls, about 25 of whom are repeat students, who will enjoy a holiday with activities on the beach, swimming pools or parks or going to the movies. From the “Vacaciones en paz” program they want the boys and girls to be able to maintain, from time to time, their culture and language. Upon arrival, they have to undergo a routine check-up by paediatricians, the dentist and opticians, all of whom collaborate with the various associations that work in the province.
The objective, indicates Pérez, is to continue promoting the reception of these people throughout the entire province and she emphasises that they are returning to locations where they were not welcomed a few years ago. This is the case of the municipalities of Monóvar and Aspe, which before the pandemic were not welcoming. Also, in Sant Joan d’Alacant, Rafal and Orihuela. “The children are going to be in many towns and that is why the activities are for them to meet and share their experiences.”
Regarding what fostering contributes, Ainhoa Pérez explains that “it is giving the opportunity to a child who due to circumstances have encountered a war in their country.” “It is allowing them to have the right to medical assistance and giving them the opportunity to discover a world that they should know.”
