Thirty Saharan children from refuge camps in Tinduf have been taken in by thirty families from Cartagena this summer as part of the 'Holidays in Peace' programme. The twenty girls and ten boys were accompanied on their journey by representatives of the Murcian branch of the Friends of the Saharan People Association, and by members of the host families.

'Holidays in Peace' is a project that has been operating in Spain and other European countries since 1992. This summer, a total of 143 children aged 8-12 are spending the summer in the Murcian region, 30 of whom have been taken in by families from Cartagena.

One of the main aims of the project is to remove as many children as possible from the harsh meteorological  conditions in the desert during the summer when temperatures can reach 55ºC in the shade. Organisers also take the opportunity to test the children medically, teach them the basic rules of living together, and enable them to improve their Spanish, which they start learning from an early age at the refuge camps.

By teaching them the basics of living together, the host families gain an understanding of what life is like for the people of this country who have been living in refuge camps for the last 25 years.

Cartagena mayoress, Pilar Barreiro, welcomed the children to the region at a ceremony last week during which she thanked the families for their humanitarian efforts. For their part, one young Saharan girl was chosen to thank the mayoress and the people of Cartagena for the way they are being treated.