Alicante. March 22, 2022. ‘Paellas por la paz’, that is the name of the initiative of five friends from Alicante to bring some 12,000 portions of paella to Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing the war, in a humanitarian gesture in which a worker from Aludium participates and with which the company has collaborated financially to help defray expenses.
“I would do it a thousand times over,” explains Andrés Sánchez, the Aludium employee who has not hesitated to use part of his vacation to make this altruistic effort. From Poland, a few kilometers from the border of the country at war, he emphasizes that “if there is desire, things can be done”.
An idea that arose when the five involved simply wondered what they could do to help the Ukrainian people. “Since we knew how to make paellas, we decided to do that,” explains Sánchez. In addition, they managed to involve different companies and individuals.
With two vans, about 1,000 kilos of rice, broth concentrates, oil, paellas, paella pans, tables, tents, and large doses of humanity, they intended to spend six days putting of work. On their return, they wanted to take advantage of the trip to transport the refugees to Spain. “Although the procedure is complicated, we are working to try to get five or six people down, who are the ones who would get us into the car.” Meanwhile, you can follow the initiative on its website, www.paellasporlapaz.com, and on its Instagram account: @paellasxlapaz.
Mission accomplished
Last Sunday, March 20, they returned to Spain, but they did not return alone. As they intended, these brave people from Alicante returned with 5 people from Ukraine: a mother with her two daughters and her mother and a woman whose house had been bombed. On their Instagram account they posted: “With great emotion we said goodbye to our travel companions in Castelldefels, where two families will be in charge of taking them to their final destinations in Asturias and Malaga. We are left with a strange body. Peace Ukraine”. In the early hours of Monday, March 21, the five friends who a week ago undertook a solidarity trip to help Ukraine arrived home. Tired but very proud of having contributed their grain of sand, they return full of stories… Many of them difficult to assimilate, but grateful for all the help achieved and for having changed the destiny of 6 people.
Solidarity with Ukraine
Aludium has also participated in a solidarity chain that has sent four tons of aid to refugees from Bilbao. A truck full of food, clothing, blankets, hygiene items and other basic necessities, in which the company provided the coordination of the shipment, the logistics of the transport and its costs, one of the main obstacles that arose for its organizers. Several workers from the Amorebieta plant also put their work and knowledge to make it possible.
