IF THE WALLS OF NOTRE DAME COULD TALK...

If the walls of Notre Dame could talk, they would tell lots of things! 

Lots of joyful moments, games, some mischief, and also conscious and responsible work of the hundreds of students that came to this place.

Today June 2020, what do our walls tell?

The walls of Notre Dame must be happy to see how a group of young Moroccans are welcome since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (about the middle of March). They came here from their native Morocco around two years ago. And if these walls could talk, they would tell how happy these young Moroccans are. They are treated affectionately by the community workers. Moroccans and community workers are all young and they discuss, dance and share the tasks every day. They have also celebrated Ramadan rigorously: fast, prayers…!

They would also wonder, what is going to happen when the de-escalate finishes? No legal papers, no work, no house…where will they go? They probably won’t be ignored: "Caritas" (a charity organization) and/or social services, the local government or the Basque Government will give a hand and help, but…how? Right now, there is too much uncertainty and too many doubts.

The time they spent here seems to have done them good, at all levels: material, social and coexistence. Our wish, we who have followed them closely, is that they find a job for which they were trained, in addition to learning the local language, in cooking, mechanics or other. We know that their stay in these walls of Notre Dame is coming to an end, but we will remain by their side and continue to accompany them in another way.

San Sebastián-Donostia, June 2020