by Lucía Pérez, young volunteer at FPFE in Spain

When we were presented with the opportunity to carry out this ambitious project, I thought about the magnitude that it could acquire, because from the very beginning I saw beyond what the project itself involved.

In this respect, and taking into account the available budget, both I and the rest of the project’s organising team proposed a program of activities that would allow us to continue them in the future, integrating them into the Youth Centre’s daily operations.

That’s why I think the project has made a great impact, and will continue to do so, as we continue to carry out all the proposed activities, and are seeing very a positive response from the community.

At the individual level I must say that what this project has given me, as a person and a professional serving people in the field of sexuality, is much more than what I was able bring to it. I have been able to see for myself the teamwork capacity all of us working at the Youth Centre have, and I have incorporated, almost automatically, all the values that this project upheld (including shining a light on the stigmatisation of abortion, so that it can be eradicated, and the need to engage the general population in political efforts in order to reach political groups directly and present them with the necessary changes, at the legal and institutional levels). And I have been able to bring to bear my passion for people and my desire for change towards a more just society, respectful of all people.

As weaknesses of the project I would cite the lack of time to carry out some activities; more specifically, the training courses for peers. Though having done several, we would have liked to do more, and with more people, to create a broader and more solid base. In this area we continue to train peers, and will continue to do so even after the project’s scheduled end date.

Finally, I would like to say that I think that these kinds of projects are absolutely necessary, and I really believe in the ability of the teams trained at the Youth Centre to carry them out, because we do it with enthusiasm, motivation for change, and a desire to work.