“The course has helped us to have more confidence in ourselves and now we are very excited to start working”, these are the words of Anabel, one of the young women who participates in the Fundesplai Youth Inclusion program.
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| From left to right, Àlex Montesinos, Mar Grau, Eva de la Morena (head of the programme), Oriol Prada and Anabel Sanz, in a career guidance session shortly before starting work |
This is a pioneering initiative that Fundesplai launched in September 2020 and that It supports the independent living of young people with intellectual disabilities aged between 16 and 29 through training and labour inclusion.
From September 2020 to February 2021, a group of young people have been training at Centre Esplai (El Prat de Llobregat), headquarters of Fundesplai, in the field of educational leisure, as well as with specific sessions on the world of work, to offer them the right tools to delve into professional life. All young women are participating in various voluntary actions and 6 of them are working in leisure organizations or services.
Training and accompaniment
The training sessions have served so that, apart from obtaining the specific knowledge of each work environment, the young people have received personalized accompaniment and guidance. “I thought the course was great, all the professionals have a huge heart”, says Oriol, one of the young people who goes on to work at the Fundesplai headquarters, and concludes: “I am very happy to be part of Fundesplai, it is like my home!” Mar, who had worked before but was out of work due to Covid, agrees with Oriol: “I liked the course a lot, I learned a lot and I will be able to work as a monitor support, since I like to be with the children”.
Alex, who at the time of the interview had been working as a kitchen assistant at the Centre Esplai restaurant for three days, explained that the first day he was a little nervous. “Now, however, I am very happy, learning to cook and even at home I also cook.”
Four testimonies of young people who these days begin a new and exciting stage of life.