News

Our Year 12 Spanish A Level students recently visited Hogar Bentania where they gave Spanish lessons to some of the people who are currently being looked after by the centre. During the day, our students also engaged in small group discussions with the residents where they were able to share personal stories and have a conversation about their lives and their dreams for the future. These moments of connection were particularly touching, to see the resilience and strength of the people they met.

Hogar Betania is a great charity which provides valuable services to immigrants and families in need. Founded in 2012 in La Línea de la Concepción, Betania was established with the goal of addressing the urgent needs of a region marked by high unemployment and poverty rates. Their services are directed towards victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence, as well as those who are homeless, struggling with addictions, migrants, refugees, minors, families, and other vulnerable groups.

Here are what some of our Year 12s had to say about the experience:

Visiting Hogar Betania was an enriching experience that made me reflect on the reality of many people who come to Spain in search of a better life. We had the opportunity to talk with immigrants about their experiences, the challenges they face, and their hopes of finding job opportunities. Listening to their stories of effort and resilience made me appreciate what I have even more and understand the importance of empathy and supporting those in need. It was a day that definitely left me with a valuable lesson. I am looking forwards to signing up to their volunteering program and helping them in the future. - Esther

On the 20th of March we were taken to Betania a shelter for immigrants and refugees. Which was a deeply emotional experience for me. All the stories surrounding me hit me. This opportunity taught me what real resilience looks like; how people who had endured so much were still holding on to hope. It was an eye- opening experience which showed me the dark side of our world; making me reflect on how fortunate I am. I left feeling humbled, grateful. I will absolutely go back again to help and try make a difference in their lives. - Kitzia. 

During my recent visit to Hogar Betania, I had an incredibly meaningful experience. Meeting people from diverse backgrounds and hearing their stories firsthand was both eye-opening and humbling, the resilience they showed despite the challenges they've faced was truly inspiring. During the day I had the opportunity to help by; having conversations with them, and participating in activities that brought smiles to their faces. The sense of community and support among everyone involved made the experience even more special. This visit reinforced my belief in the importance of compassion, inclusion, and giving back to those in need. And i would love to take part in more activities with them in the future. - Cristina

I enjoyed my experience in Hogar Betania in Spain and truly helped immigrants with the teachings of basic Spanish and learning about their learning about their daily routine and what they do in a day to day. I would love to go and participate on being the communicator which is if there are immigrants that don’t know Spanish and know English, I would be the one that translates the rules and regulations of the charity and what they are supposed to do every day with that being online or face to face. Overall I would say the day when I went to the charity I think they are doing a great thing teaching them another language so when they work, they have that language because of us and us teaching them. - Daniel