Saharan refugee children join Basque schools under Oporrak Bakean program

Eighteen children from Saharan refugee camps have been brought to the Basque Country under the Oporrak Bakean humanitarian programme. The youngsters are placed with host families in the towns of Azpeitia, Zumaia and Elgoibar and attend the local school, which they call “madrassa”.

While in Spain they receive a balanced diet, medical examinations, eye and dental care, and take part in swimming lessons and other recreational activities. Coordinators Samuel Ruiz of the Darahli association and Oier Iribar of the local care centres say the children quickly adapt, learning to swim and forming close bonds with their caregivers. The programme aims to improve the children’s living conditions during the two‑month stay, contrasting with the extreme heat and water scarcity they face in the Algerian camps.