A second-year student of Business Administration and International Relations at Comillas University tells us...

"My expectations upon arriving in Laayoune were quite limited. I thought that, since it was a small team, the project would have a more modest scope and that my role would be more of an observer. I also imagined that the impact we could have would be limited, especially considering how complex the migration situation in Morocco is. But from the very first days, I realised that I was very wrong.

My expectations changed completely when I saw first-hand the level of commitment of the Caritas team, the trust that the women placed in the centre and the variety of activities that really made a difference in their lives, from medical accompaniment to French or sewing classes. I was also surprised by the degree of humanity and closeness with which they worked, which made me rethink the distance that sometimes exists between migration policies and the concrete reality of people's lives.

Caritas of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Sahara has as its main mission in El Aaiun and Dakhla the health and psychosocial care of the most vulnerable population, especially migrants in transit: accompanying them to hospitals and health centers of the Moroccan Health Service (in addition, to medical services, laboratories and private pharmacies); offering, in addition, health and hygiene awareness.

Caritas provides special attention to women, especially during pregnancy and child rearing; sewing workshops offer a space for safety, expression, etc.; it also organizes a “childhood space” that welcomes migrant children who are not in school on a daily basis. It also offers assistance in carrying out certain administrative formalities, mainly the registration of births at the Civil Registry.

Assignment: Volunteers support the Caritas base team in various tasks: welcoming the beneficiary population; accompanying them to hospitals, health centers, laboratories... where they receive health care; leading workshops in which they can take care of their mental wellbeing and learn useful things about health, hygiene, etc.; taking care of children in the “Childhood Space” that operates from Monday to Thursday, or when there are workshops for women, facilitating the participation of mothers.

Volunteers with medical qualifications can attend consultations to discern the best medical response to the situation presented, just as volunteers with nursing qualifications can dispense cures, pharmacists can discern the best value for money drugs in the cases presented, etc. 

The organisation pays special attention to women, particularly during pregnancy and child-rearing. Within this approach, sewing workshops provide a safe space for training and personal expression. Caritas also runs a ‘children's space’, which welcomes migrant children who are not in school on a daily basis, offering them a protected environment and basic educational activities. 

Another line of work consists of administrative support, especially in registering births in the Civil Registry, a crucial step in guaranteeing the recognition of basic rights. 

There is also a training space focused on entrepreneurship, aimed primarily at women who have greater possibilities for stability in the territory and wish to start their own economic activities. In addition, there are sports activities, community outreach and other actions that promote the integration and well-being of the people served. 

Furthermore, volunteers are expected to maintain a certain degree of availability and flexibility to collaborate in tasks that may arise unexpectedly, always within their capabilities and the framework of support offered by Caritas. 

Timetable: Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm (hours of operation). Some afternoons a week (workshops and activities). Very occasionally we receive notices about people hospitalized in the Emergency Room that require immediate response, even at night, weekends and holidays. 

Additional information

• Caritas will send a document with useful information for volunteers, containing the code of conduct to which they must commit in writing. This must be read, understood and signed as a commitment prior to joining. 

• Although most of the information is provided directly through Caritas, we also recommend that volunteers consult supplementary materials that can help them better understand the socio-cultural and humanitarian context of the region. These include:

  • • Reports and publications from organisations working on migration and social action in North Africa.

    • Articles and studies on human mobility, community health and psychosocial support. 

    • General resources on the reality of the Sahara and the phenomenon of migration in the area, accessible on academic platforms or specialised media.

    • All this information — both that provided by Caritas and the recommended external consultation — allows volunteers to arrive better prepared, understand the complexity of the context and make the most of their experience in a more conscious and responsible manner. 

• The organisation will ask for a criminal record certificate and a negative certificate of sexual offences.

• There are two premises in the city of El Aaiún where Caritas' work is mainly carried out, although it also carries out activities in other enclaves such as El Marsa, or points of interest where it works.   

• Volunteers will be provided with the necessary resources to carry out the activities (Caritas identification waistcoats and, whenever necessary, a computer). It is a good idea to have your own mobile phone and to buy a local phone sim in case you need to make contact (wifi is available both in the Caritas premises and in the volunteers' flat). 

• We work daily with people in highly vulnerable situations, many of whom have life stories marked by difficult experiences, complex migration processes, and significant medical or psychosocial problems. This context can generate a significant emotional burden for those who accompany these cases. In addition, certain tasks—such as psychosocial care, medical care, or accompanying families with children—may involve greater emotional exposure, as they require active listening, support, and empathy in the face of stories and situations that can have an emotional impact on volunteers. To respond appropriately to this reality, the organisation has designed a specific support plan for volunteers, which includes emotional support spaces, spiritual support for those who wish it, and a safeguard system aimed at protecting their physical and emotional well-being. This support seeks to ensure that volunteers feel cared for, supported and prepared to adequately manage the situations they may encounter during their stay.

Vulnerable population of the Aaiun and Dajla, especially migrants in transit, women and children. 

This project has local support, which means that the social organisation hosting you will be your main point of contact. It will assign a professional to support you on a day-to-day basis, with occasional support from the university responsible for the project.

Comillas Pontifical University (María Iglesias Martínez)