The Town Hall of Los Palacios and Villafranca has officially welcomed the Sahrawi minors participating in the Holidays in Peace programme. The mayor, Juan Manuel Valle, thanked the host families and the Sahara Libre association for their involvement.
The Plenary Hall of the Town Hall of Los Palacios and Villafranca was filled with emotion and solidarity this Wednesday during the official reception for the Sahrawi children who will spend the summer in the municipality. The mayor, Juan Manuel Valle, accompanied by the International Cooperation delegate, Manuel Carvajal, and the president of the Sahara Libre Association, Verónica Jurado, welcomed the minors arriving from the refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria).
A Summer of Health and Coexistence
The Holidays in Peace programme allows these children to enjoy a family environment, healthcare, balanced nutrition, and various leisure activities during the summer months. For many, this stay represents the only opportunity to receive medical check-ups and a varied diet that they do not have in the camps.
The mayor highlighted that behind this initiative there are many hours of volunteer work, management, and dedication. “When we live together and get to know people closely, prejudices disappear, and we understand that we have many more things that unite us than those that separate us,” Valle stated during his speech.
Verónica Jurado, president of the organising association, thanked the municipal collaboration and the efforts of the host families, who once again open their homes to make this experience possible. “Without them, this programme would not be a reality,” she emphasised.
A Gesture of Solidarity Repeated Every Summer
The Holidays in Peace programme has been held in Los Palacios for over a decade. Each year, around twenty Sahrawi minors spend the summer in the municipality, living with local families and participating in activities that allow them to forget the harshness of life in the desert for a few weeks.
The delegate of the Polisario Front in Andalusia, Mohamed Salem, present at the event, thanked the ongoing support of the Town Hall and the residents. He reminded everyone that the Sahrawi people have been in refugee camps for over 50 years, deprived of their territory and natural resources.
For his part, the mayor wanted to make it clear that Los Palacios and Villafranca “will always find a brother town that raises its voice in defence of a just cause.” The host families, moved, have already begun to integrate the children into their daily routines, with visits to the pool, excursions, and afternoons of games.
A Bridge of Unity Between Peoples
For Juan Manuel Valle, the programme is much more than a summer stay. “Multiculturalism is not a threat, but a richness that makes us a more open, more tolerant, and more humane society,” he stated. The mayor insisted that Holidays in Peace is a bridge of unity between peoples and a tool for educating in values of solidarity and international cooperation.
The Sahara Libre Association of Los Palacios and Villafranca, which coordinates the programme, is already working on planning activities for the coming weeks. The children will participate in workshops, coexistence days, and excursions around the province of Seville. Families interested in collaborating can still contact the association.
Meanwhile, in the homes of Los Palacios, laughter and new accents can already be heard. Once again, solidarity has settled in the municipality.
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