A group of twenty Sahrawi girls and boys visited the Palma Aquarium as part of the activity programme included in the initiative Vacances en Pau, promoted by the Consell de Mallorca. The Councillor for the Presidency, Antoni Fuster, the President of the Fons Mallorquí de Solidaritat i Cooperació, Llorenç Perelló, and the President of the Associació d’Amics del Poble Sahrauí de les Illes Balears, Catalina Roselló, accompanied the host families during a visit in which they were able to tour the aquarium facilities to learn about the marine world through entertainment and fun.

The Sahrawi children enjoyed an entertaining day at the Palma Aquarium. Photos: Consell de Mallorca.

The Councillor for the Presidency reiterated the commitment to the Sahrawi people and explained that, in addition to financial support for the Associació d’Amics del Poble Sahrauí through the Fons Mallorquí de Solidaritat i Cooperació, “it is important to offer activities that provide new experiences“. Antoni Fuster highlighted the solidarity of the host families and “the affection with which they all offer the Sahrawi children different months, far from the complicated situation they live in their country of origin”.

The purpose of the activity organised by the island institution is to provide the children with a space for integration and social interaction, both with their host families and among themselves.

An “exemplary” host island

The Councillor for the Presidency highlighted that with this type of initiative “Mallorca proves to be an exemplary host island” in the face of the difficult situation in which the Sahrawi people find themselves, who have been living in the refugee camps in Tindouf for decades. Thus, he stressed that “the goal shared by institutions and families is that the children only have to worry about being children and feel protected“.

He also praised the work of the Associació d’Amics del Poble Sahrauí, focused on improving the conditions of people living in occupied territories of Western Sahara. The island institution supports the non-profit organisation through the Fons Mallorquí, and for the first time has allocated 25,000 euros on an extraordinary basis, in addition to the annual aid of 80,000 euros to which the Consell, along with the town councils, contributes for the Sahrawi children’s health project.