Ten students from Lleida’s INS Manel de Montsuar have completed a human rights and cooperation programme that ended with a solidarity trip to Gambia. The Lleida City Council marked the end of the project on Thursday, 21 May 2026, with a diploma ceremony for the participants in the Joves Solidaris, or Young Volunteers, scheme.
Mayor Fèlix Larrosa and councillor for Cooperation Jackson Quiñónez presented the certificates. The programme combines classroom learning with fieldwork and is led by the NGO Alpicat Solidari, with support from the Cooperation Department. For more on local civic coverage, see our news page.
The students, all aged 16, spent a week in Baja Kunda, a community in eastern Gambia. During the stay, they learned about social, educational and cultural life in the area, lived alongside local residents, and visited schools and cooperation projects.
Larrosa said the experience would have helped the students break down prejudices and understand that what is routine in Lleida can still be a daily challenge elsewhere. He also praised the young people for stepping outside their comfort zone and thanked families, schools and the organisations involved in the project.
The Joves Solidaris programme aims to build critical awareness among young people about global inequalities and their causes. It also promotes solidarity, social justice and respect for human rights, with training sessions in Lleida on international cooperation, human rights and interculturality, plus awareness activities for families.
The project has been running for more than eight years under a collaboration agreement between Lleida City Council and Alpicat Solidari. Larrosa said the students should keep sharing what they learned and continue as voices for social justice and human rights. For background on the organisations involved, readers can also refer to the news tag page.