Cártama youngsters promote integration and coexistence with new friendship benches

Children between five and 15 years of age have been involved in the initiative which provides safe places for people to talk together, especially those who experience conditions like anxiety and depression

Tony Bryant

Cártama

Friday, 31 May 2024, 08:44

Youngsters from the toy libraries in the El Sexmo and Nueva Aljaima districts of Cártama have created two ‘friendship benches’ with the aim of offering a space where the importance of friendship is valued and coexistence, respect, integration and tolerance are also promoted. Children between five and 15 years of age have been involved in the initiative, which was made possible by an agreement between the ministry of social inclusion, youth, families and equality of the regional government and the town hall.

The idea was contrived from the Friendship Bench initiative, developed in Zimbabwe and supported by the World Health Organisation, to provide safe places for people to talk together, especially people who experience conditions like anxiety and depression.

The town’s mayor, Jorge Gallardo, and the councillor for social welfare, Isabel Sánchez, visited the facilities earlier this week to congratulate the children who had participated in the project.

“The council has contributed two benches to this initiative, one which has been installed next to the municipal offices in El Sexmo, and another that has been placed next to the toy library in Nueva Aljaima. I want to congratulate the youngsters for this work, because with this type of activity, in addition to working on creativity, the learning of values is also promoted,” the mayor said.

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