VI MatiaZaleak Act: this year with the experiences of the pandemic as a central theme

 

(Donostia-San Sebastián, 15 November 2020). This 6th MatiaZaleak event will be held in completely different circumstances to previous editions. Due to the pandemic it will not be possible to bring together all the people, associations and institutions that throughout the year support Matia Fundazioa in its objective of accompanying people in their ageing process to improve their wellbeing, generating knowledge and personalised services that promote their autonomy and dignity. This year the annual MatiaZaleak meeting will be broadcast online from the Matia Fundazioa Youtube channel with a central theme that will revolve around the experiences during the pandemic.

It is worth noting that, in this very complicated year, the community has continued to expand, with almost 1,000 MatiaZaleak, and that various initiatives have continued to be implemented, many of them related to the situation generated by the COVID-19.

 

The event was also the setting chosen to present the results of a study carried out during the pandemic, on stereotypes and ageing. This study leaves us with data like this:

- 53% of People think that Older People should have greater restrictions on confinement than other age groups.

- 76% of older people are more afraid of getting infected than other age groups.

- 67% of people think that Older People are a greater burden on the health and economic system than other age groups

 

Alex Txikon, MatiaZaleak 2020

 

Alex Txikon will receive the MatiaZaleak 2020 award from Txema Odriozola, who was recognised in 2019 (former president of EuskoFederpen). Alex has been collaborating with MatiaZaleak for months, holding online meetings with people who live in different centres and who are very fond of the mountains. These meetings allow us to talk in a relaxed way about different subjects, concerns, resilience, overcoming... and to learn and enjoy the hand of a professional. Without a doubt, this is an initiative with a long way to go thanks to Alex's generosity and dedication.

In addition to Alex Txikon, the event will also serve to give special thanks to all the volunteers, entities and collaborators who are supporting Matia Fundazioa during this pandemic.

 

The initiatives:

 

- #CIENFLUENCERS: How do we label ageing in the digital media? What do we think, but then what do we write about it? Do we use negative labels? We want to carry out a study on this, and at the same time generate an audiovisual collection to exhibit it and raise awareness.

 

- I'M IN. An initiative that seeks to make outings in a standardised way, in very small groups, and where older people are really interested, responding to the wishes of each one of them. Plans, as any of us would do.

 

- THE GRANDMOTHER'S STORY. The story created is called "Look at Matia", and it can be accessed digitally. Its authors are four elderly women, who, with the support of Iñaki Sainz de Murieta and illustrations by Sofia Herbón, wanted to tell us about their childhood, their life, and to bring us closer to their concerns.

 

- WITH MUSIC EVERYWHERE. An initiative is underway so that in the Fraisoro centre in Zizurkil residents can attend weekly music classes, in a standardised manner, at the music school. This initiative, in addition to the benefits of music, aims at normalisation and community integration.

 

Initiatives in response to the pandemic situation in support of the elderly

 

- #LARGE LETTERS. Grouping of letters, messages, images... that we received during the confinement, reflection of those days, written feelings.

 

- EXPERIENCES DURING THE COVID, DO WE TELL THEM TO EACH OTHER?  This initiative, which is now in campaign mode, has been one of the projects selected by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa for the MetaKultura campaign, and therefore all the donations that we manage to make are duplicated by the Provincial Council itself. The aim is to hold groups in the centres, to be able to reflect on and share the experiences experienced during the Covid. From there, we want to turn it into art, and that is a testimony to a digital edition.