Gloria, Rosa, Joaquina, Mirentxu and Mertxe They are between 75 and 90 years old and live in Pamplona. They all have something in common: for one circumstance or another, they felt alone. Thanks to the Always Accompanied project of the “la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with the Caja Navarra Foundation and the Pamplona City Council, and through the management of the Pauma Foundation, they found in gymnastics and other social events a way to meet people and begins to see loneliness in another color.
The protagonists of this story agree to emphasize that the Project Always Accompanied by the Seniors Programwhich supports elderly people who feel alone because of their age or difficult personal situations, marked by a before and after in their lives.
HAS Gloria Fortún Abetewho takes care of her husband, was struck by the gymnastics classes they offered her, adapted to her 75 years. “I didn’t want to lie on the floor or do circuits, and when someone explained to me that we were doing chair gymnastics, I went and inquired and found out the whole program. It was a real find. Before long, I signed up not only for gymnastics, but also for Monday classes and dance classes. Gloria highlights the care and warmth of all spaces, but especially the fact of having met her colleagues.
Mirentxu: “Thanks to the program, many seniors have found new horizons in their lives, as well as meaningful relationships.”
According to the account Mirentxu Araiz Zugasti, coordinator of Pauma, this program started in 2020 made it possible to serve more than 100 people from Pamplona neighborhoods of San Juan, Iturrama and Txantrea.
Although the main office is at the Convive Oskia center, each neighborhood has its own spaces, which guarantees personalized attention within its reference community. Outdoor locations are also sought after, such as Yamaguchi Park or Astiz Hostelmanaged by the Pauma Foundation, to diversify activities. “Thanks to the program,” Mirentxu explains, “many older people have put aside stereotypes about age and discovered new horizons in their lives, as well as meaningful relationships.”
This is the case of Rosa Torres Lanawho, at 79, is moved when she talks about her recently deceased husband. “When you get home and lock the key, you notice no one is there. My husband was still at the computer, and when he arrived, I told him, “Javier, I’m here.” “Now I can’t talk to anyone and it’s difficult.” Choking back tears, Rosa said that Always accompanied There was a before and after in his grieving process and now he faces life with more enthusiasm.
It’s something that also coincides Joaquina Iturralde Irigoyenwho at over 90 found herself very alone because of the pandemic and then discovered this program with the help of her daughter. “When you are alone you tend to think about sad things, and on the other hand, in the company of other people you feel rejuvenated.”
Gloria shares this feeling of renewed hope. She is aware of the need to prevent loneliness because at any moment life can change and we can find ourselves alone. Thanks to Always accompanied He came into contact with other people and opened his world to new experiences. “Connecting with others, as we do in this program, allows us to gain self-esteem and see the world around us in a more optimistic way.”
So much so that, even if they are all aware that their fight against loneliness began with an internal decision, a desire to be good with themselves, these meetings have now become essential in their daily lives. Mertxe Garralda Labiano84, emphasizes the importance of building meaningful relationships. “When there are no scheduled activities, we meet with other classmates. “We joined forces and we love telling each other about our lives.”
Another fundamental aspect of Always accompanied is that loneliness is not conceived as a negative feeling in itself, but rather, depending on each person’s situation, it is experienced in one way or another.
The proof is in the response users give when asked what color their loneliness is. They all agree that in the most difficult and delicate moments, They associated loneliness with sad colorslike the ash gray of the lengthening afternoons. Now that they have built meaningful relationships around them, they all see things in a much more optimistic tone. For Mertxe, for example, it is blue, his favorite, and for Rosa, “the green of hope”.
The story of Gloria, Rosa, Joaquina, Mirentxu and Mertxe It is part of the documentary project Told Lives, 14 stories of improvement where a voice is given to people at risk of exclusion who share their learning in order to raise awareness among citizens.
