Fundación Escuela de Solidaridad (FES) is a communal establishment which provides shelter for those who need it. The majority of the inhabitants are women and children, many of whom have suffered domestic violence (a direct cause for their living in FES), but there are also some men in their counts. A great proportion of the people come from abroad, including Latin America (Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia), Europe (France, Portugal, as well as Spain), Africa (Tunisia, Algeria), some even have come from Syria with the latest wave of asylum seekers. A family of mother and daughter from Japan also resides in their midst. In addition, several volunteers, as well as Ignacio and Dora, the heads of the community, live in Sierra Elvira. A total of over 80 people share this lifestyle.
They all work for each other and very few have jobs outside. Some are in charge of the kitchen, others do the cleaning, still others look after the small garden and the chickens. The reason for this is that, mostly, they lack the necessary paperwork to become fully involved in the life of Spain. Nevertheless, the children are allowed to go to a local school and receive education en par with their peers.
The framework of the workshop was based around the lifestyle of these women and children and how violence in familial context can be reduced and prevented. Partners from nine countries took part in the mobility. Each country provided a wide range of specialisms in their teams. At Linguistic Aid Kit, we had a gender equality expert, a legal expert and a psychologist, who were able to explore the questions of interest from a variety of viewpoints. Similarly, people with substantial backgrounds in migration, journalism, history, medicine and sociology were present so as to create grounds for comprehensive understanding of the issues.
Through theatre, lectures, presentations, movies, games and other activities, we were presented with the central issues that women face in today’s societies of the nine participant countries, as well as several more states. Sexual and psychological violence were discussed, oppression against women and non-traditional genders; education was discussed at length.
Due to ethical considerations, we were not able to speak to victims of violence in a formalised manner but we were invited to dine in the houses of residents on one of the evenings. This allowed for an informal discussion of their situations and analysis of the ways in which they have accepted and appreciated help.
It is of note that, following this workshop, the three delegates of Linguistic Aid Kit are far more prepared to tackle issues surrounding this extremely vulnerable target group, in terms of legal and psychological help, as well as activism. We are proud to have partnered with FES and look forward to cooperate with them further. The two organisations have already begun working on educational projects which will bring the expertise of Linguistic Aid Kit to the doors of the community and allow us to share our literacy with each person inside, enabling them to live a fulfilling life independently soon.
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