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Spanish troops in Mali donate material and toys handcrafted by the contingent

Mali
November 26, 2021
  • Members of the Helicopter Unit spent their free time preparing the material that was later given to Malian children

The children of the Malian social care centre "Méré Theresa" are enjoying new wooden furniture and toys, thanks to more than 60 members of the XVIII Helicopter Unit (MASPUHEL), part of the European training mission EUTM-MALI, who have made them in their spare time.

"Our objective with this donation has been to be able to contribute from a social point of view, in addition to our military mission," explains Major Miguel Macías, head of the unit. Thus, and once coordinated with the contingent's Civil-Military team, Sergeant Majors Nieto and Barrios, together with the support of other members of the contingent, began to invest a large part of their free time during the mission to make wooden furniture and toys.

The idea arose and they got down to work, and in this way a total of 8 desks were made from recycled wood, as well as various toys with a certain Spanish touch, which have delighted the children who received them expectantly.

"You can do a lot of things during the day if you organise them well, and although the MASPUHEL unit's mission is very demanding, especially as this is the first time these NH90 helicopters have been deployed to Mali, you can always make time and effort to contribute to such a rewarding cause," explains Sergeant Major Nieto.

MASPUHEL plans to offer continuity to its successors, to encourage them to continue this activity. "We are sure that there will be staff willing to dedicate part of their time to the benefit of those most in need," says Sergeant Major Barrios.                                                  

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