The Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucía (BOJA) has published the award announcement of the XXIII Andalusian School Literary Contest on volunteering, ‘Solidarity in Letters: caring for the elderly through volunteering’, organized by the Ministry of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families, and Equality. A total of nine students from Primary Education and Special Education in public, private, and charter schools have been awarded in this edition, with 85 submissions received.
In category A (students in 5th and 6th grade), a prize has been awarded for each of the Andalusian provinces this year. The winners are Cayetana Molero Durán from Colegio Internacional SEK Alborán in El Ejido (Almería), Yago Rubido Pérez from Colegio Sage College in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), Elena Mañero Serrano from Colegio La Presentación FESD in Granada, David Mora Casado from CEIP Maestro Juan Díaz Hachero in Cartaya (Huelva), María Amate Montes from Colegio Cristo Rey in Jaén, Ana Obkhouska from Escuelas Ave María in Málaga, and Elena Casas López from CEIP Tartessos in Seville.
In category B, open to Andalusian Special Education centers, the award goes to Máximo Acosta Salés, a student from Instituto Doctor Sacristán in Seville.
Specifically, Cayetana Molero Durán presented the story ‘Abuela Nina’, emphasizing the importance of listening and sharing life with our elders. On the other hand, Yago Rubido expresses in ‘Un encuentro intergaláctico’ that caring for the elderly is an exchange of love and understanding, a learning experience about life and time. Additionally, Sandro Molina describes in ‘Daniel y sus emociones’ volunteering as a way to make new friends and combat loneliness.
The student from Granada, Elena Mañero, narrates in ‘Voluntaria en Villahermosa’ how a girl’s volunteering in a residence for the elderly awakens memories of the past, while David Mora explains in ‘La tercera abuela’ how a daily situation can create friendships that last a lifetime. Furthermore, María Amate presented the work ‘Solidaridad en las letras’, highlighting the importance of shared memories with the elderly. Ana Obkhouska tells in ‘Una mano amiga’ the importance of volunteering for mutual support, and Seville’s Elena Casas reflects in ‘Las personas mayores existen para los jóvenes’ the happiness and satisfaction that comes from collaborating and making others happy.
Lastly, Máximo Acosta combines text and pictograms in ‘Canciones que abrazan’ to emphasize the importance of family ties and intergenerational solidarity during confinement.
With these awards, the aim is to sensitize students in Andalusian educational centers to defend values such as solidarity, freedom, equality, and justice, as well as enabling students to become protagonists through their written productions. In this edition, the Andalusian government specifically aims to raise awareness about caring for the elderly through volunteering.
The works are short stories with a maximum length of 500 words, showcasing not only text writing but also the ability for conciseness and synthesis. Through the nine awarded texts, ideas are captured such as the importance of caring for the elderly, the learning it entails, and the enriching experience of volunteering.