Ojalá/ El Faro

OJALÁ is a literacy program for young immigrants carried out in the cities of Vitoria and Bilbao. Free Spanish lessons are offered to immigrants of both sexes coming from social welfare and employment programs. Lessons are taught in the classrooms of the Itaka-Escolapios Foundation. The aims of the program are:

• Obtaining a good level of comprehension and spoken Spanish.

• Obtaining communication and relationship skills, such as empathic listening.

• Taking and active part in the suggested exercises, discussing and exchanging cultural aspects of the city and of their own countries .

The recipients of this program are adult immigrants with socio-economic difficulties, who are immersed in the process of labour insertion. They have no chance of joining the formal education system, and must show true interest in their literacy process in order to join the group. This program gives priority to women.

The lessons are given from Monday to Thursday. In Vitoria, there is also a monitored toy library where young children can play while their mothers attend classes.