Vélez's Proyecto Hombre, in the air

The economic crisis is also taking its toll on groups in Vélez-Málaga providing assistance to those who suffer some sort of an addiction, be it to drugs or otherwise. This is the case of the Fortaleza de la Axarquía (AFAX-Proyecto Hombre), one of the first associations to set up in the district offering detox assistance to drug addicts. The association, which was founded in 1992, annually treats more than 300 people with all kinds of addiction (drugs, gambling and even sex).

Until now the group has kept going thanks to the contributions from families (120 euros a month), although with the crisis this income has plummeted, going from 6,000 euros a month to cover running costs, to barely 1,800, which has obliged the board of directors to have to manage without one of the four therapists the association has had until now. At present only two are employed full time and a third part time.

Given this situation, the president of Afax-Proyecto Hombre, Alfonso Aranda, has informed the press that if the situation does not improve the association will have to close its doors and dismiss all the members of staff.

According to Aranda, at the moment the association, which only receives funds from the Town Hall to cover the rent for the premises, is surviving thanks to money raised from the sale of a plot of land donated by a local woman. "When this runs out, which will be very soon, we won't even be able to pay the workers' redundancy money", Aranda pointed out.

The president of Afax-Proyecto Hombre has declared that the only way of guaranteeing the continuity of the association and its work with drug addicts is with an annual budget of 60,000 euros, a sum that would allow them to employ four therapists.

Proposal

With this in mind Afax-Proyecto Hombre is asking the Town Hall for part of the state local investment funds (FEIL 2010) or to include the association's work in the Urban Initiative Plan which has funds until 2013. This option was put forward in the form of a proposal by the PP at the last council meeting, although it was rejected by the corporation after a bitter debate between the mayor, Salomé Arroyo, and the PP spokesperson, Francisco Delgado.

The Afax-Proyecto Hombre centre operates as an initial location for therapy sessions in which the sufferer and his or her family come into contact with the detox programme. At this stage the addicts must assume the importance of their re-education and of the need to change their pattern of behaviour, a process in which the families also have a role to play. Every month between 10 and 15 people are helped by the association.