Working to bring smiles to children's faces

Fifteen years ago, the staff of the Mallorcan RANA Foundation launched their first storytelling workshop for children aged six to eleven. They called schools to explain their measures for preventing sexual abuse of children and young people. Nowadays, it is the schools themselves that approach the foundation because they recognise the importance and necessity of their work.

"The Foundation's aim is not only prevention but also raising awareness", says educator Ana Maria Durán, who has worked with RANA for seven years. "We want to build a shared consciousness to help drive change in society." The organisation, whose name stands for Red de Ayuda a Niños Abusados (Network for Helping Abused Children), supports children and adolescents aged between four and eighteen.

Since its creation, RANA's prevention, education and awareness-raising activities have reached almost 55,000 children and adolescents, helping them understand their rights, recognise healthy boundaries and find the courage to speak up. Training sessions and workshops for parents, teachers, and professionals working with children have prepared 5,000 participants to better protect minors. In addition, 800 adult survivors have received psychological support through RANA's therapy programme.