Overview

• Eight Sahrawi children arrived in Avilés this week and were greeted by Mayor Mariví Monteserín and Cooperation Councillor Agustín Medina.
• In Gijón, 14 children from refugee camps in the southern Algerian hamada were received by Councilor Guzmán Pendás and other city officials for stays running through early September.
• Host families report that initial cultural and language challenges give way quickly to bonding over swimming, sports and local excursions.
• Gijón’s Department of Development Cooperation provides €250,000 annually under a renewable agreement, and Avilés municipal funds cover medical screenings, language lessons and cultural activities.
• Coordinators from the Asociación Asturiana de Solidaridad con el Pueblo Saharaui warn of a drop in volunteer families and are actively recruiting more hosts to sustain the program and raise awareness of the Western Sahara conflict.