October 1st is the International Day of Older Persons. In Spain, nearly 3 million people over the age of 65 suffer from loneliness, according to the Social Observatory of La Caixa Foundation. Unwanted loneliness in older people is a growing problem in our society, which goes beyond the simple lack of company. It is a feeling of isolation and social disconnection that can have serious consequences for the physical and mental health of our elderly.
To combat the effects of this problem and increase social awareness, Batallitas has been born, a social initiative created by Volies, which as B Corp accompany companies and organizations to promote social transformation through their people, such as volunteers.
On this occasion, Volies has had the support of Amazon Web Services (AWS), which in the framework of its project of social impact AWS InCommunities has collaborated in the production of the first 8 episodes of Batallitas and has also participated with its employee volunteers in Aragon.
For both organizations, collaboration in these social impact projects is essential to help society to know the magnitude of this problem and work together to ensure that our elders enjoy a full and healthy life, surrounded by affection and company.
What is Batallitas? The AWS Experience
“Batallitas” is more than a video podcast and more than volunteering. It is a social transformation initiative with a direct impact on the elderly and on society. This video podcast gives a voice to our elders and is made with the participation of volunteers who talk with them about the most significant experiences of their lives with the help of a professional journalist who guides the conversation in an authentic and close way in each episode.
The recording of the podcasts takes place in the nursing homes during a unique day in which the elderly, volunteers and professionals of the center live a very special experience, leaving their usual routine in an intergenerational encounter of great respect and trust.
On this occasion, AWS InCommunities volunteers went to the Macanaz nursing home in Zaragoza, with more than 70 residents, where Batallitas set up its professional recording set. During that morning, the volunteers chatted with the elderly and identified the most amusing anecdotes, life lessons and experiences related to technology, which they then recorded for posterity.
A legacy: human stories and life lessons
The 8 episodes of Batallitas with AWS InCommunities collect the life legacy of 8 elderly people, many of them close to 100 years old. Pilar, Soledad, César, are some of the protagonists who tell us human stories from when Spain was not like today: like Pilar, a pioneer woman of her time who studied, worked, got her driver’s license and had to do military service to get her passport, and who advises young people: “Do everything possible while you are young”.
They also share experiences from the past that teach us to live in the present, such as Soledad, an ingenious woman who is about to turn 100 years old, and who has lived through the great technological advances of history, and reveals how she built her own typewriter with a box and a thimble.
A real impact including Premier
For all these elderly people, the impact of this project has been unique. As Pilar says, “when you talk to me, you love me”, while the other Pilar confesses that Batallitas has helped her to “let off steam”, and Soledad hopes that it will help “young people and everyone”.
However, that impact has been even greater with the second part of this project: the Premier of Batallitas.
October 1st, International Day of Older Persons, Batallitas held its premiere at the residence to watch the premiere of the episodes, bringing together its protagonists: older people, volunteers and family members.
At the Macanaz residence, we celebrated this day all together with a movie premiere with red carpet and photocall, extending its impact to the rest of residents, professionals and relatives of the center.
Commitment to the Community
“For AWS InCommunities to support this project means connecting two generations of the same community, and for the younger people on our local teams to learn from the legacy that the elders treasure, while bringing older people a modern-day look at a world that is more digital than the one they knew.”
Carlos Valdés, responsible for AWS InCommunities for South EMEA.
“Batallitas not only has a real impact on each of its protagonists, but also allows us to make visible and share the cultural legacy of our elders and raise community awareness of their experiences and challenges, creating a living archive of our shared history.”
Juan Ángel Poyatos, Volies CEO & Fundator.
In short, Batallitas puts the legacy of our elders in our hands by giving them a voice, creating intergenerational bonds and fighting against unwanted loneliness, a problem suffered by more than 60% of the elderly.