Francisco Cabral in Melilla

Francisco Cabral, 22 and a postgraduate student in Project Management and Development Cooperation at the FCH, went to Melilla, where he volunteered with the ‘Mec de la Rue’ organisation.

Before I started my volunteering experience, I felt somewhat anxious about working with people with such a particular and sensitive background, who really need systematic and specialised help. Working with young migrants is indeed a tough and complex reality. However, all the training we received beforehand, through the programme, helped me to go better prepared. I believe that this initial preparation was fundamental to alleviating the uncertainties and facing the challenges with more confidence.

Our activities on the ground consisted mainly of preparing daily tasks and team meetings in the mornings. In the afternoon, we dedicated ourselves to giving Spanish lessons, facilitating the integration of newly arrived migrants. In the evenings, we got involved in cooking and distributing meals, a task that united volunteers and migrants around a common cause. At weekends, we organised fun and integration activities, such as football matches on the beach or peddy-papers. Carrying out all these activities was a real source of joy, and the bonds created during those moments are deep and lasting - to this day I keep in touch with many of the people I met.

One of my most memorable experiences came when my flight home was delayed by two days. What could have been an unpleasant situation turned into one of the best memories I carry with me. The local volunteers welcomed me in a warm and fraternal way, and in addition, the association had started renovating its space with paintings. I decided to join the migrants who were involved in this project. It was a moment of celebration and deep symbolism. In those days, we were all the same - our personal stories, however different, didn't matter. We were united in the purpose of creating a better, more welcoming space for those who would follow. That's what true humanity is all about.

The positive impact of the volunteer programme on the migrant community was unparalleled. The young people showed an enormous desire to learn and integrate. All the affection and fraternity we gave them was generously reciprocated. All of us, volunteers and migrants, grew together. Seeing the young people leave for the peninsula carrying dreams and hopes was one of the happiest moments of my experience - knowing that we have contributed to opening up new opportunities is invaluable.

However, not all situations were happy or easy to process. The stories these people carry are unique, personal and often incredibly tough. I remember the account of a 15-year-old who swam for eight hours to reach Melilla, losing his best friend in the process, or a 24-year-old who crossed five bays, each with seven metres of barbed wire and huge ditches between them, under heavy guard, facing police violence on both sides. This is the ‘border of shame’, as it is known locally. Hearing these stories in person is very different from seeing them on television - giving them faces and names makes everything more real and painful. This is the point that I believe is fundamental to remember: these stories are not statistics, they are human lives. This volunteering is about humanity.