The 'guaguaseo' will give homeless people access to a bathroom and medical attention
Transportation image. /
The cost of the project amounts to 50 thousand euros, not counting the transfer of the bus, which has been provided by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria
Starting this Friday, Gran Canaria will have a "guaguaseo", a modified bus inside that can be used by homeless people to take a shower, get a haircut, use a manicure service and even receive medical attention.
This has been detailed to the media by the Minister of Social Rights of the Government of the Canary Islands, Noemí Santana (UP), who has inaugurated the service at the hands of Rafael Hernández, president of the association "Oportunidades de Vida", which leads the project.
"Is about
reach the most difficult people, such as those who are homeless or homeless. In this way, they are given the opportunity to clean themselves, with shower, manicure, shave, hairdressing and even medical care services, “said Santana.
AND
he cost of the project amounts to 50 thousand eurosnot counting the transfer of the bus, which has been provided by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria.
The initiative has already been launched in Fuerteventura and Santana has described it as "very positive", which is why they have decided to incorporate the service both to Gran Canaria and, in the coming days, to Tenerife.
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“It is evident that this need must be covered on all the islands. We are aware that this problem of homelessness exists in all of them and we hope that the service can be extended to the entire archipelago", said the counselor, who added that the objective is to "reach" the 3,000 people in this situation who live in Canary Islands.
The president of the Oportunidades de Vida association, Rafael Hernández, has indicated that the bus is endowed with many resources and, among some of its peculiarities, it can be hooked up to places where there is an electrical network.
"And where it doesn't, it has a generator that gives enough energy for everything to work," Hernández said, adding that the bus will travel to areas where homeless people traditionally concentrate "who are on the margins of everything », as in the area of the Port or Alcaravaneras.
"You can take a shower, you will be given clean clothes, the opportunity to cut their hair or help them cut their nails and, in each bus, both here and in Tenerife, a doctor will go because people on the street usually have wounds or sores that need to be healed", said Hernández.
In addition, the lower part of the bus, where luggage is traditionally placed, has been adapted to function as a store for clothes and utensils, and also houses the water tank and the power generator.
He has also stressed that "they are aware" that they are not going to "solve" homelessness in the Canary Islands, but has asserted that the project will help them to have more dignity.
"Initially,
we will serve fewer people because citizens in this situation tend to have mistrust with this type of resources because they are back from everything, but we hope to reach the maximum number of people possible", concluded the president of Oportunidades de Vida.
