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Homage to the Basque war children

An unforgetable gathering

The homage is over, and our ‘War Children’ have returned to the countries where 70 years ago, they went for a stay of no longer than a few months.

55 of the children who never returned to the Basque Country were with us for four days, so as to take part in the homage organised by the ‘Idi Ezkerra Foundation’. We were with them in places of great significance for the group, such as the port of Santurtzi, and we shared with them, moments of deep emotions.

We still have in our mind the picture of that group of veteran niños on the stage of the Euskalduna Palace, we can still hear the rapturous ovation we gave them and above all, the emotions, many emotions, and the feeling of having taken part in an unforgetable gathering.

On behalf of Idi Ezkerra we want to thank you all who have participated in this homage, those who came from abroad to be honoured, and those who joined us, to give them this tribute.

There are too many emotions, and lots of memories from these days: Mexico Lindo association brought the mariachis to watch Los niños de Morelia; the niños from Russia sang their school songs at the same time as the film of their childhood was projected onto the screen. Hundreds of flowers floating on the water in the port of Santurtzi, remembered the niños who left from there and who never came back; Mariano Ferrer added his voice to that of Idi Ezkerra in making a strong plea against war; Lejla made us cry with the letter to her father who died in Gorazde; Andoni Egaña sang a bertso in Spanish, dedicated to the children who lost the Basque language in exile; Kirmen Uribe and Jabier Muguruza were generous in providing sensibility and good music; Herminio waved the republican flag, and at the exit, Secundina, another niña, exclaimed in front of everyone that “nobody but Idi Ezkerra had been able to do something like this, throughout all these years”.

These are but bits and pieces of a few unforgetable days, actual examples of what was enjoyed with deep emotion; parts of a gathering full of affection, of something authentic and sincere, a memory that will remain in the hearts of all of us who were there.

To all of you, who made this event possible, MANY THANKS. MILA ESKER.