The devastating High Altitude Isolated Depression (DANA, in Spanish) that hit the Valencian Community and some municipalities in other communities left hundreds dead, missing and thousands of people affected. Torrential rain and flooding destroyed homes, caused power and water outages and the closure of basic infrastructure such as schools.
In tragic situations like these, children are always the most vulnerable.
The Salesians are working to provide psychological support to the youngest children, to help them process the impact of the crisis and reduce the risk of long-term psychological effects. Ensuring the right to education must be a priority, going to school and returning to healthy routines is essential. While the damaged schools are being rehabilitated to return to the standards necessary for education, children, youth and young adults must have safe spaces in which they can form and grow in relation to their age: education cannot stop. Misiones Salesianas, the Salesian Mission Office based in Madrid, together with the Salesian NGO Jóvenes y Desarrollo, based in Valencia, are working to enable minors to return to safe spaces. Salesian schools in Valencia have taken in children from the worst affected areas, providing them with shelter and support at this difficult time, and have collected basic necessities for the families.
But now these Salesian bodies are going a step further, with a project that has three aspects:
• Providing the damaged centres with educational material;
• Carrying out educational workshops to raise awareness of climate change;
• Artistic activities promoting resilience and overcoming trauma.
“Help us rebuild the future and give hope back to hundreds of affected children,” say the Salesians from the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid
More information is available on the website: www.misionessalesianas.org
