Javier Torrado, a participant in our ‘Be a Volunteer’ project, is doing socio-educational and sports volunteering at the company ANIMASOC. His experience reflects the success of collaboration with organisations committed to the real inclusion and comprehensive development of people with disabilities.
The Provincial Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities of Seville, COCEMFE Seville, continues to strengthen its institutional work on social inclusion and personal development through volunteering. The latest example of this is Javier Torrado, a young man with an intellectual disability who, from 21 August to 5 September, will be volunteering in sports and socio-educational activities with a group of minors who are users of the ANIMASOC company.
ANIMASOC is an organisation with a proven track record in the field of education, offering academic support and values training, as well as a wide range of leisure, cultural and sporting activities. Its commitment to diversity is not new. It is precisely this vision, based on values such as inclusion and diversity, that has opened the doors for Javier to enjoy this enriching experience.
Javier Torrado is beaming when he talks about his volunteer work. ‘I feel super motivated and happy participating in these activities,’ he says. His calling is clear: he is passionate about working with children and everything related to sports. During these weeks, he is not only contributing his energy and enthusiasm, but also feels ‘useful’ and an integral part of a team. Aware of the challenges, Javi also shares his desire to improve: ‘I would like to learn to communicate better with children in order to interact with them more effectively.’
Far from being an obstacle, this desire to improve has found the best support. Both his instructor and the representative of ANIMASOC, David Rodríguez, have assured him that this is a normal process at the beginning and that, with their help, he will succeed. Javier wanted to express his ‘gratitude to both of them, and to the rest of the professionals, for their constant support.’
For his part, David Rodríguez Pérez, one of the heads of ANIMASOC, stresses the importance of going beyond one-off actions. ‘Comprehensive work with people with disabilities and sustained support for their development are fundamental requirements for achieving the objectives of inclusion,’ he says. He also insists on the need to involve the entire community: ‘We must also work with families and society as a whole to eliminate the social and cultural barriers that arise from prejudice and ignorance.’
This vision fits perfectly with the awareness-raising work carried out by COCEMFE Seville. From our organisation, we will continue to work to bring together third sector companies and other entities, both public and private. The aim is to create the necessary contexts to build fully diverse and inclusive societies, where inclusion is not just on paper, but real and effective, ensuring that people with disabilities have the leading and autonomous role they deserve.
New projects to promote inclusive volunteering
Javier Torrado’s experience is the best example of the success of our European project “Be a Volunteer”, as he is the fourth participant to undertake an internship since its inception.
In addition, this boost to volunteering is reinforced by other high-impact initiatives, such as the organisation’s training workshops and the European project “TEAM IV”, which is also run by the Provincial Federation. With regard to the latter project, testing of its training materials, designed to specialise mentors of volunteers with disabilities, began this week. Thanks to this training, the group will have the optimal tools to guide, train and accompany other people with disabilities in their volunteering experiences, greatly facilitating their inclusion and personal growth.
Our Federation encourages other companies and organisations interested in offering volunteering opportunities to contact our Volunteering Department or European Projects Department to collaborate in the coming months, at the following email addresses: voluntariado@cocemfesevilla.es – programas@cocemfesevilla.es.
At COCEMFE Seville, we work daily to strengthen inter-institutional ties where people with disabilities in Seville and the province can find spaces for participation, interaction and social inclusion.
