Last weekend, Andévalo Aventura became the meeting point for 23 people — technical staff from the Seville Provincial Federation of Associations for People with Physical and Organic Disabilities (COCEMFE Sevilla), young people and adults with disabilities, and volunteers — who shared lessons learnt, experiences and a common vision for the future in an atmosphere of camaraderie, reflection and collective endeavour.
The gathering served, first and foremost, to mark the conclusion of the European project ‘Be a Volunteer’, thanks to which young people with disabilities have successfully joined social and community organisations as volunteers, demonstrating their commitment, abilities and active contribution to society.
COCEMFE Seville wished to give special recognition to the collaboration, support and dedication of the participating organisations: Niños con Amor, Auxilia Seville, the Hermandad del Cautivo, the Hermandad de la Estrella, Europa Aquí, Sevilla Sitting Volley, Ecoherencia and ANIMASOC, whose joint efforts have been fundamental to the project’s progress.
The experiences gained have led to significant personal growth for the young participants, but have also brought about a shift in perspective within the organisations themselves. In many cases, this has been the first time that people with disabilities have moved beyond the role of service users to become active logistical and professional supporters, contributing directly to the running of the organisations.
The Be a Volunteer project also enabled the Federation to organise an international trip with nine people with disabilities. Hungary was the destination for an intensive week of training shared with over 60 young people with disabilities from various European countries, an experience of community, diversity and learning that transcended borders and expectations.
Similarly, the meeting at Andévalo Aventura aimed to continue advancing mentoring training linked to two other programmes, TEAM IV and DIGIT2ME. Both projects focus on the mentor as an essential figure in supporting the personal development of young people with disabilities, working in areas such as independence, employability, social inclusion and volunteering.
You can view all the photos via this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ux5iUdASPjuNe1jj7
