The Department of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families, and Equality, through the Andalusian Institute for Women (IAM), has organized more than 40 activities for the daughters and sons who live with their mothers in the shelters for victims of gender-based violence in Andalusia. This edition of the Vacacionantes program, which takes place from July 1st to September 7th, includes leisure, cultural, sports, and educational activities with the aim of promoting a fun and violence-free vacation.
The Vacacionantes program is based on education in values such as equality, respect, and empathy to achieve proper expression of emotions, conflict resolution, respect for diversity, reinforcement of self-esteem, and increased autonomy after suffering violence. This program is of particular importance for the children and young people in shelter, as it is a space to create, have fun, learn, share, and get to know their new city. The activities are carried out by a multidisciplinary team, where the monitors play a fundamental role.
The Minister of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families, and Equality, Loles López, has stated that «this program is part of the recovery process for the children in shelter from the aftermath of the traumatic experiences they have had to endure.» In this regard, she emphasized that «the goal is to facilitate their return to normalcy as quickly as possible, and this involves having normalized vacations, full of games, laughter, and fun.»
López recalled that this program takes place during the holiday periods of Christmas, Easter, and summer throughout the comprehensive network of care and shelter for victims of gender-based violence in Andalusia. She also stressed that in «the shelters, which consist of emergency centers, shelters, and supervised apartments, comprehensive care is provided, including psychological, socio-labor, and legal advice to contribute to the recovery of victims of gender-based violence.»
Over 40 scheduled performances
The over 40 scheduled performances this summer are divided into four groups: creative, educational, sports/cooperative, and recreational. The creative activities offer the opportunity to delve into understanding reality, exploring it, learning to express oneself, especially through music workshops, a mini-chef school, or creating summer murals. Puppet shows and theatrical performances are also created.
In the educational block, learning and the development of emotional expression are promoted with reading animation as the central theme. There are book clubs, school support workshops, science, English, and new technologies workshops, among others.
Regarding sports and cooperation performances, the aim is to enhance psychomotor development, as well as develop cooperative attitudes, promoting real and equal participation of all participants. Water games, excursions to natural spaces, dance workshops, yoga, and kite workshops stand out in this area.
Finally, recreational initiatives provide opportunities for families to have fun while fostering knowledge of their new place of residence, valuing cultural heritage, and its relationship with the city’s history. These joint outings promote the relationship between mothers and children. Trips to the beach, cultural visits, summer cinema, or themed parties are some of the planned activities.