Barcelona, Oct 3 (EFE).- A total of 7,931 people have gone through the services offered by the Fundación de la Esperanza since 2013 to serve people at risk of social exclusion in the Ciutat Vella neighborhood of Barcelona, whom they accompany in their careers. vital with individualized itineraries and networking.
On the occasion of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the entity, the general director of the foundation, Marc Simón, has recognized today the needs of the people who are served "there are many" and that "we have a direct feed back" with them with the aim of "empowering them to be protagonists of their future."
The budget of the entity, where 30 professionals and 100 volunteers work, has been increasing over time and is currently 3 million euros annually, said Marc Simón.
Currently, the Hope Foundation serves more than 500 families in Ciutat Vella each year, offering care programs for the most vulnerable children with educational reinforcement, psychotherapeutic care, educational leisure, emotional management and talent discovery.
Since its inception, 2,819 families and 3,670 children have joined the program.
Helping with schoolwork and offering academic guidance are other services that the entity offers to children and adolescents from its Open Classroom and Young Classroom.
Through the job placement programs, which is another of its services, 3,575 people at risk of social exclusion have passed through in 10 years and 1,948 of them have found employment.
For the second year, "to address the social needs detected through contact with the users themselves" a parenting program for 0 to 3 years old has been launched in which mothers can share experiences and concerns "in a safe and favorable for the development of babies," said Marc Simón.
Created together with the Ministry of Inclusion from the Next Generation Funds, the program had 64 children last year and expects a similar number in the new edition.
"The stage from 0 to 3 years is essential for children and we saw that many mothers felt very alone and had many difficulties" in facing it, said the director of the Hope Foundation, Núria Danés.
The objective of the service is, through two-day weekly sessions, to improve parental experiences, the cognitive and psychomotor development of the child, in addition to guiding mothers regarding schooling options and aid, they are also offered a card to purchase food and hygiene products.
At the moment, it is a pilot program whose objective is to expand it throughout Catalonia, said Marc Simón.
To continue commemorating the tenth anniversary, this coming Thursday the foundation has organized an event with other beneficiary entities that will be closed by the deputy mayor of Barcelona City Council, Maria Eugènia Gay. La Casa del Recès, shelter for ultra-vulnerable young people
Since May 2013, the foundation has welcomed women between 18 and 35 years old at the Casa del Recès, although the current average age is 21 years old and they come from "very harsh" social realities.
"It is not just a residential center", but it is a "key resource to accompany women in their autonomy processes" that has served 196 women since its inception who have "in common carrying very heavy backpacks" since " have experienced situations of family violence, forced marriages or white slavery," said the director.
"The emotional recovery of these women and that their recovery process is not slowed down" is the objective of this resource, which offers 44 rooms that are occupied for periods of 2 years, although "respecting the rhythms of each of the users", added Núria Danés.
Access to the Casa del Recès, where educational homework is offered throughout the year and every day, is not direct, but rather the girls come from Social Services, come from all over Catalonia and at the moment there is a waiting list of 6 women.
The 196 women assisted come from 34 countries, among which Núria Danés highlighted Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Latin and South America.
As requirements to access the House, women must belong to the marked age group, not have children, enter voluntarily and not suffer from situations such as addictions or serious mental disorders because ""we cannot respond to these needs," said the director: Jonas Flores, an gang member with a volunteer spirit
19-year-old Jonas Flores arrived from Peru at age 6 and lives with an aunt and grandmother. "My childhood was difficult," he acknowledged in an interview with Efe in which he was honest and explained that "2 years ago he was on the other side, he was a gang member and did bad things."
"I entered the Foundation reluctantly and, out of stupid pride, saying that I didn't want them to help me," but I "got over it right away" because the people who helped me "felt like I had known them all my life, they didn't judge me" and "I immediately empathized with the place."
With the foundation, Jonas explained that he found a job, but above all "to improve my attitude towards life" and to go from "being lazy to get up and live" to "being more responsible and organized" and "feeling excited about moving forward." ".
The Foundation "for me is a reference", "they have given me the tools" and now "I need them less, but I know they are there", acknowledged the boy, who has been helped "to be more independent" and whose immediate objective is "volunteer" to "help other children or young people" because "this works."
