Aldeas Infantiles SOS has brought its exhibition «Together because we are siblings» to Oviedo, with the aim of paying tribute to all the children who grow up far from their parents and who also have to face the separation from their brothers and sisters. The exhibition, which was inaugurated this morning by María Velasco, Councilor for Social Policies; Mónica Revilla, Director of Institutional Relations of Aldeas Infantiles SOS; María José González, Director of the day center in Oviedo of this non-profit organization; Carlos Muñoz, ambassador of Real Oviedo and Miguel Sanz Ovies, coordinator of the historical heritage area of Real Oviedo, aims to make this reality visible and claim the right of minors to grow up together.
Velasco has invited all Asturians to visit this photographic exhibition because «they are not merely beautiful photographs with children’s smiles, but they seek to make a situation visible and the importance of children being able to live and grow up with their siblings, regardless of whether they are at home or away from it. It is important for all of us to strive for this to be possible and, at times, when these children are in a situation of vulnerability, risk, when it is necessary to separate them from their families, they continue with their siblings so that they can maintain that bond.» The councilor has encouraged all Asturians to welcome minors into their homes by recounting her own personal experience: «At 16, I fell in love with the baby my parents had welcomed, and from his first smile, he became my younger brother (…) Everyone should be able to grow up in a family,» she recounted.
On the other hand, the Director of Institutional Relations of Aldeas Infantiles SOS, Mónica Revilla, explained that «the relationship between siblings is unique. It is a bond built through attachment and trust, which provides stability and a sense of belonging. For children who face the separation from their parents, this deep relationship helps them overcome trauma and facilitates their adaptation to a new life far from the home they knew.» However, in many instances, siblings in foster care are separated, contrary to what national and international legislation indicates. Revilla has emphasized the importance of «official records being kept» of this reality. «We need data and statistics that give us a complete view to ensure the well-being of these children.
The exhibition, composed of 33 snapshots by photographer Iván Hidalgo, showing brothers and sisters from different countries around the world, such as Indonesia, Mexico, Togo, Syria, Morocco, or Ukraine, can be visited 24 hours a day on Paseo del Bombé in Campo San Francisco until August 11th.
