Breaking the cycle of poverty: Rita and Ayomide's story
Spain maintains one of the highest levels of poverty and social exclusion in the European Union. Rising living costs, difficulties in accessing housing, and educational and employment inequalities exacerbate a situation that affects the future of thousands of people.
According to the latest report The State of Poverty, prepared by the European Anti-Poverty and Social Exclusion Network (EAPN), the child poverty rate in Spain is particularly alarming: 2.3 million children and adolescents—almost 29%—live in vulnerable situations. This is the highest figure in the EU.
Faced with this reality, the "la Caixa" Foundation joins the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty with the commitment to continue offering opportunities to the most vulnerable groups at all stages of life. Through its programs, and with a budget of €655 million for 2025, the Foundation promotes social and educational initiatives aimed at building a more just and inclusive society.
We visited El Faro Social, an entity in Santa Coloma de Gramanet that is part of the CaixaProinfancia program, to learn firsthand how support can boost the future of children and their families.
A new opportunity for Rita and her son
Rita, of Nigerian origin, is 42 years old and the mother of seven-year-old Ayomide. She entered Spain by boat and arrived in Catalonia in 2011. Rita cannot read or write and speaks Spanish with difficulty. Unemployed, she started from scratch, alone and with a young son.
"When I arrived in Catalonia, it was very difficult. Ayo's father left when I was pregnant. When my son asked me for help with his homework, I couldn't help him. […] I felt very alone," she recalls emotionally.
Rita and Ayomide have been part of El Far Social for a year and a half, an organization that provides support for both of them. Since then, their lives have changed significantly: Ayomide has a space to play and learn, receives educational support, and participates in leisure activities. Rita also receives guidance and support to face daily challenges, improve her education, and prepare to enter the job market.
"They help me a lot here and Ayo loves coming. He plays with other children, they help him with his homework... Before it was very difficult for me, but now he is happy and I feel calm. When I come here, Débora helps me read and accompanies me everywhere."
The power of accompaniment
From the center, Débora Rodríguez, director of El Far Social, emphasizes that stories like Rita's are not exceptional. "Most of the families we serve are in dire financial straits. Many are worried about things as basic as what they'll eat that day or whether they'll be able to afford an activity for their children," she explains.
Rodríguez points out that child poverty is an invisible reality for much of society and argues that investing in children guarantees the future: "We must focus on children. Investing now ensures equal opportunities tomorrow. If the family's situation improves, the child improves significantly."
Rita asserts that what she most wants for her future is to find work, and for Ayomide, to be able to pursue whatever profession she wants. "My future... first I'd like to have a job... Ayo wants to be a firefighter. I'd like him to be a nurse, but he wants to be a firefighter," she smiles.
With the support of CaixaProinfancia, organizations like El Faro Social not only help cover essential needs—such as food or children's glasses—but also offer learning spaces, summer camps, psychological support, and family workshops that restore confidence and strengthen ties within the community.
"Child poverty is invisible until you see it up close, but it can be reversed if we act with resources, sensitivity, and commitment," says the center's director.
