Background : As part of the Education and Social Justice Project, in June 2025, Cici Sprouse (C'26) interviewed Marilú Nieto Pérez, a second-year performing and film arts and audiovisual communication double-major student at Universidad Loyola Andalucía, studying on a theater scholarship. A Seville native from Polígono Sur, Marilú has volunteered for nearly four years with Fundación Prodean's playroom program at the city's Children's Hospital, work she began before enrolling at Loyola and later coordinated with the university department Servicio de Evangelización y Diálogo (SED) so it could continue alongside her studies.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself, about your degree? All of that.
Sure. Well, my name is Marilú. I’m in my second year of performing and film arts along with a double major in audiovisual communication. And I’ve been doing theater since I was little, so that’s why they gave me the chance to get a scholarship to study here at Loyola.
Congratulations.
Thanks. And since they gave me the grant, I could study here, and I really like my degree. I’m very happy and very content.
Are you from Seville?
From Seville.
From Seville, Seville?
Yes, from Polígono Sur.
Do you have to take the bus from there?
Yes. Bus, metro, and then another bus.
Oh wow. Okay. And how did you find out about the volunteer programs?
Well, my dad has always been a volunteer, so I’ve always liked helping people. Whenever I could, I would go with my dad and help at Cáritas or wherever he was volunteering. And I always really liked it when I was young. And during the lockdown I said, “Okay, what can I do?” So, I started researching. And I found the one I do now, which ended up being the one I liked most, but I only started the year after, because during the lockdown we couldn’t do anything. So, the year after the lockdown, I did more research about the one I liked the most, which was volunteering at the Children’s Hospital. So, I looked more into it and decided to sign up. When I arrived at the university, I checked whether I could combine the volunteering I was already doing with my university schedule and everything. And I talked to Juan about volunteering, and we were able to coordinate both things and work toward integrating the volunteer work into the university.
So, you were doing it before you came to Loyola?
Yes. And then here, with Juan, we tried to connect it as part of the foundation with Loyola.
Which organization?
Okay, I went to their office in Pajaritos.
Yes.
Yes, to talk to the people there. I wanted to learn more, but I didn’t go to the hospital. So, I don’t have much context about that. Could you explain a little about how you show up, how many hours, what you do during your time?
We do two hours a week. In my case, I go on Saturday afternoons from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. And in the summer from 5:30 to 7:30 because of the heat, so it’s pushed a bit later.
I know, last week, wow, I thought I was going to die.
Yes, so it shifts a bit during the summer months. In August, we’re closed. But the other months we’re open from September to July. What we do is, at Christmas, we organize Christmas activities: Santa Claus comes, the Three Kings come. At Feria, we do crafts for Feria. During Holy Week, we do a Holy Week day. And during the rest of the year we either do themed activities that we propose ourselves, or another foundation brings costumes of Disney princesses, Marvel characters. And if there’s no specific activity, then it’s simply whatever the kids want. If they feel like playing ball, we play ball. Even if we go with a predetermined activity—like something Christmas-related—a kid doesn’t want that, we’re open to board games, playing PlayStation, watching a movie, whatever the kid wants, really. We’re there so the child has a good time and forgets about being sick.
And besides the playroom, we have a new room called the Blue Space. It has a 360 degree projector that Fundación El Gancho installed. It’s for kids who are more nervous or have more psychological difficulties. They put on relaxing videos in that room, which has beanbags and mats where they can lie down and relax a lot. Honestly, I go with the kids and I relax more than the kid sometimes.
How was it when you started…the process of starting? Was there training? I’m not sure.
At the beginning, the coordinators of each group give you training. For example, now, I’m the one giving the training because I’ve been volunteering for almost four years. The coordinator meets with you the first day downstairs at the hospital and explains everything, shows you around, tells you where the keys are, where the crafts are, where the board games are—so, you have everything under control if a kid comes. The first thing we do is go room to room—we do “the round” and say, “Hi, we’re here,” and we invite the kids to come with us.
So, the coordinator trains you by showing you around the whole hospital, because it’s a bit big, and you can get lost. Then, once you’re in the playroom…at first, I was shy when the kids came in, but after two weeks, I loosened up completely and talked with all the kids. Honestly, when a kid suddenly arrives, at first, you don’t really know where to start. Often, parents leave the kids with us. So, if one day, we’re only four volunteers instead of eight, the work of eight has to be done by four. When there are lots of kids, it gets a bit chaotic. But after two weeks, I got used to it.
Glad to hear that. How would you describe the importance of your specific work?
Within the volunteering of?
For the kids, in general.
I think it helps the kids a lot to clear their minds from the illness and not think all the time about white coats—nurses, doctors. And yes, their parents and friends visit, but it’s not the same to see them in the hospital room as in a playroom or on the rooftop or patio. They can get sun, breathe fresh air; opening a window isn’t the same. So, I think it’s important because it gives them a new reality inside the reality they’re living at the hospital.
Would you say most of your classmates at Loyola do this kind of work, volunteering, or not?
I don’t think so. In my class, I’m the only one.
Yes. Why do you think that is? Why aren't they participating?
I think it’s because they feel like they don’t have enough time. They say, “No, I don’t have time, I don’t have time.” People always tell me, “I’d love to go, but I don’t have time.” So, I think people use the excuse of not having time, but really, if you organize yourself, you do have time—it’s only two hours. And you only go when you’re needed. If you go three weekends and skip one because you’re going to the beach, nothing happens. We’re 12 volunteers total. We rotate. So, I think it’s because they think they don’t have time.
So, you’ve participated for four years. Has it been difficult at some moments to always go? Or have you always gone?
For me, I’ve always felt motivated because of the kids and because of my volunteer teammates. We’re a good group. We feel very comfortable. Often, after the hospital, we go out for dinner, or we meet beforehand to eat. So, there’s not only a good environment with the kids, but also among us. We’re basically friends after four years.
And you mentioned your dad has always done this kind of helping others. Where do you think that motivation comes from?
My dad is from Los Pajaritos, a tough neighborhood. He always told me you could either get into trouble or get involved in the church. So, he chose church volunteering to escape the other realities of the neighborhood. So, I saw that at home growing up, and I grew up with that inspiration to help.
For you, has it also been a connection to religion, or not?
Yes and no. I mean, it’s not a specifically religious volunteer program. But the idea of helping others, yes. But my specific volunteer work isn’t religious, because many kids aren’t religious. I work with Muslim kids, Jewish kids, different religions from mine. So, the volunteering itself isn’t religious, since everyone has their own beliefs. But the idea of helping others does feel connected to Christianity for me. But the volunteer work itself I don’t see as religious.
Have you participated in other parts of SED, like faith groups or other things?
Yes, I was in the SED group the first semester this year.
And do most people there also do a volunteer program?
Some, yes, and others, not. Not everyone. Maybe, half, yes, and half, no. One girl from SED is with me at the hospital, for example.
Oh, nice. How do you think SED can promote these programs?
They can promote the idea of helping others, what I said—that feeling—because helping gives me a lot of peace. And peace is a way of feeling connected with God and with loving others. So, I think it’s connected. Even if what you do isn’t religious, the feeling you get, which SED can promote, is connected.
Do you have a specific story that shows that idea of connection with God or that feeling you leave with?
For example, if I’m feeling super stressed, I go to volunteering, I help the kids, and it completely resets me. I feel at peace. I feel like I’m doing something good. I don’t know how to explain it in words.
Or maybe, a more specific story, like a kid or something that made you feel that way.
For example, during Holy Week, I always bring little Holy Week cards from my brotherhood. And when a kid tells me, “I couldn’t see the processions but I love Holy Week,” we give them the cards. That lifts their spirits. Or once the Rocío brotherhood came to sing and brought a small statue and flowers from the Virgin’s paso . So, in those moments, yes, you feel a real religious connection.
What would you say you value most from your experience as a volunteer?
The happiness the kids give me. Because even though I go to make them happy, really, they’re the ones who make me happy. It’s very reciprocal. I receive the same as I give.
Before you started, like five years ago, what did you think of this type of activity?
I always wanted to do it, but I was also afraid because I didn’t know how it would be—going alone to volunteer in a new place where I didn’t know anyone. At the beginning, it scared me, but I was always motivated to volunteer.
And now, how do you feel about it?
I feel more open to meeting new people and to helping others. I’ve always been a bit shy, and volunteering helped me open up.
Do you think it’s had an impact in your classes?
Yes, because it helped me lose some embarrassment. With kids, you have to act silly sometimes, or become a kid again to play with them. I hadn’t pretended to be a vampire with dolls in a long time, you know? So, it helps me lose my shyness and participate more in class.
Can you talk more about that?
We do a lot of improvisation games, and the kids love karaoke and making choreographies. So, I apply what I learn in performing arts, like body expression or dance, to what the kids want to do. So, it’s connected. Also, in class, when we have to explain practical things, sometimes I can use an example from the hospital. And with subjects like psychology or sociology, which seem more general, I’ve been able to apply my experiences to theoretical concepts.
I see. So, you said you’re the only one in your program who volunteers. How would you recommend this to them?
I always tell them they can even come one day just to try it. They don’t need to commit to every weekend. They can come once a month. If they try it, they’ll see—because I always leave feeling super good. I can go in with tons of problems, but once I’m in the kids’ playroom, everything disappears. If a kid wants to play ball, I’m focused only on that, on the kid’s happiness. And their happiness becomes yours. So, I always recommend my volunteer program, or any, really, but I recommend mine because it’s mine. It’s a completely safe place.
Sometimes, sick kids can make people feel intimidated, but I’ve always seen it as something normal. They’re just kids who happen to have a problem. You have to help them forget that problem. I encourage everyone to come even just once. And everyone who has come once ends up hooked and keeps coming. So, I say: come once, you’ll get hooked, and you’ll want to stay.
What do you want to do? How many years of Loyola do you have left?
Three.
What are your plans afterward?
Next year, I’m going on exchange to London.
Congratulations.
Thanks. I just finished a semester abroad, in Santiago, Chile.
Have you visited London, or will it be your first time?
It won’t be my first time. So, next year I’ll go on exchange, and when I come back, I’ll do fourth and fifth year here, then the internship. I’d like to do an international internship too, but I don’t know where, yet. And afterward… honestly, I’m unsure. I’d like to go to Madrid or Barcelona, get out of my comfort zone, and open myself up to new realities in the industry.
In the industry of…?
Communication, film.
Film, okay. What specific job would you like to do?
I really like both production and directing for film and TV, both. I’d like to create productions, films, series, theater, where people can see themselves reflected and see that there’s another way out of whatever they’re going through. Films can show a reality that makes minority groups feel represented.
Related to that, the two main SED values are social justice and caring for the common good. What did you think of social justice before starting volunteering?
I thought social justice wasn’t doing very well, like, in Seville or in the world, that there was a lot still to change. And through volunteering, I still think that, but I’ve also seen so many people helping others that I think, “Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought.” There’s still a lot to change, but I’m surprised by how many good people truly want to help. Parents come and say, “I have toys. I want to leave them here for the kids.” They always ask how to donate. Everyone wants to contribute their grain of sand. So, my idea has changed. I still think there’s a lot to change, but I see more justice than I used to think.
Before I look at the next questions, why this kind of work specifically in the hospital? There are many options. Why this one?
I wanted to work with kids because I’ve always liked kids. I was choosing between volunteering in Los Pajaritos or at the hospital. And I didn’t feel prepared to help kids with homework or tutoring. I was 16 when I signed up. I felt too young to help other kids with schoolwork. And the hospital was close to home. So, I said, “Okay, let’s try,” and I signed up for hospital training. I ended up choosing the hospital because I fell in love with it from the first moment.
Could you talk more about that idea you mentioned—of showing that there’s another reality beyond someone’s own? Where does that come from?
That idea also comes from the fact that I’m from a neighborhood that isn’t well regarded. I’m from Polígono Sur, near Las 3000 Viviendas—an area seen as very problematic and stigmatized. So, I’ve always had this drive to show another reality, to show people that not everything is how it looks from the outside. So, I like the idea of producing films or theater that show real life or show other realities, not just the stigmas people expect. In the hospital: people often think, “Poor kid, in the hospital…” And yes, they suffer, there are hard days. But they also fight every day, they want to keep going. They want to play and be happy. If you tell them, “Poor thing,” all day, they start to believe they can’t do anything. But even with their illness, they can do many things within the reality they have, even if it’s temporary. So, I want to show that—another reality inside the hospital.
How would you improve your program specifically, but also Loyola’s volunteer programs, more generally?
Well, in my specific program, I would improve it with contributions of new toys, because it’s true that many times the toys are already used, and the puzzle pieces get lost. After two years, it’s normal that pieces are missing. Or with new markers and materials for crafts. Especially during Christmas, the Feria season, or Carnival, it’s really nice to have new craft supplies, cardstock, colored paper, because it always supports the kids and makes their room much more decorated instead of just white walls. That also helps a lot. So, I would say that having new materials every so often to renew the old ones, so that the kids don’t have to start out with everything used or broken.
And I would also improve it with things like the projector they’ve recently installed in the room, which is super innovative and something the kids enjoy a lot. They use it every afternoon and every morning, not just with us volunteers, but also with the doctors. The psychiatry doctors go in with them to help. So, it’s something that doesn’t only help the volunteers but actually helps the doctors themselves treat the children. You know? So, I feel like people can help by investing, maybe donating a toy you don’t want anymore that’s still in good condition. You don’t need to spend or donate €1000, but instead of throwing toys or things away, give them to causes that really need them.
And what about the broader Loyola program? How would you change that?
Another Loyola volunteer program?
Well, in general… Because you were doing this even before coming here, so you’re a bit outside of it. I don’t know if you’re participating in SED, or with the groups, but how is it organized?
I think I would suggest that volunteers communicate more with each other. Maybe organizing a “volunteering day” where everyone can experience a small part of what each volunteer program does. For example, each of us could share an experience. There’s already the Solidarity Day here, where lots of foundations come with stands to share what they do, but I would focus it more on the volunteer programs. I think each student should have the chance to go for a day to each foundation to try it out—maybe visit two foundations that interest them most, and say, “Okay, this one really caught my attention. I’ll try a day,” and then, maybe, the student ends up staying. So, I’d create a trial day or trial period for volunteer programs so that they can show everything they offer, and each person can try it for at least one or two days to see if they like it and get hooked.
Can you describe a little more that idea of leaving your comfort zone that you said earlier?
Well, in my case, volunteering helped me get out of my comfort zone. I really opened up because I’ve always been super shy, really shy. It was hard for me to speak in public or talk in class. So, the idea that a child would come up to me, and I’d have to ask their name, get to know them, and start playing with them. I thought, “Ugh, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do this.” But kids, many of them, especially the hyperactive ones, always want to talk, always have so much to say. So, thanks to the kids, too, I learned to get out of my comfort zone. They talk about anything, even their favorite color, and they can spend half an hour telling you why that’s their favorite color. That made me rethink why I wasn’t more open, why I was so shy. And talking with them, I ended up being able to talk about anything. So, I think it’s cool that the kids also give something back to the volunteers.
And how do you feel about your exchange experience? Going abroad to another country and all that?
Even that helped me on my first day here. I talked to everyone. I thought, “Okay, just like in volunteering, the kids talk to all the volunteers, so I’m going to talk to all the students,” because I didn’t know anyone. So, the first day I arrived at Loyola, I talked to everyone. And then, when I arrived in London the first day, I did the same––talked to all the students so I could meet as many people as possible.
Well, you said you’ve changed your ideas a bit about children in the hospital and how you’ve actually seen their lives there. Can you talk about that more?
Well, doctors themselves also face this issue—children see the doctor, see the white coat, and some start crying because they’re really scared. They think they’re going to get hurt or have to undergo some test. So, it’s very difficult to have a more normal relationship with the doctors and talk with them, when the kids actually don’t want the doctors to come near our room. Because it’s like that room is “ours,” our space where nothing happens. So, it’s rare for me to talk with a doctor and then talk with a child right after, because the kids get scared and think we’re going to do some medical test on them, too. But my perspective has changed a lot, because the kids accept their illness. They talk about it calmly.
I never ask why they’re in the hospital, that doesn’t seem ethical to me, but many times the kids tell you themselves. Because they’re kids and innocent, they’ll tell you what test they had today, what they’re having tomorrow, how long they’ve been there, that they have two more weeks left. Kids handle it with a naturalness that many parents don’t. Kids will tell you openly about their illness, but the parents often reserve that information. So, the children’s innocence comes with this natural way of talking about their situation. Adults tend to hold back out of respect or fear. But I really like that naturalness the kids have, and it’s helped me see that everything is actually very natural, because, in the end, these things can happen to anyone.
You mentioned your dad is from Los Pajaritos too. Do you think that’s different from most Loyola students?
I think I grew up in a more humble context than many people at Loyola. My dad is from Los Pajaritos and my mom is from the poorest neighborhood in Spain, Las 3000 Viviendas. So, I come from a more humble background, and that has always pushed me to help others, because growing up, we often needed help at home. I think it comes from that. That’s also why I fought so hard for the scholarship they gave me. Because I always felt that when justice wasn’t done for me, I wanted to create justice for others. Since I wasn’t always helped the way people in some neighborhoods should be helped, I felt I needed to help others who also need it.
Yes, I understand. What’s your favorite type of movie?
Movies? I really like musicals.
Like what?
I liked Hamilton a lot.
Well, I’m thinking… is there something we haven’t talked about–something you value or how you’d describe the experience, something you haven’t mentioned yet?
I think I’ve said everything, because it’s a volunteer program, anyone who likes kids can join. What you do is play with the kids, you know? It’s not physical volunteering like the garden, where you have to be outside in the sun. For me, this volunteer program is easy because it’s something I’m comfortable with: playing with kids for two hours. I always recommend my volunteer program because it’s not difficult at all. It’s very easy to play with kids. It’s having fun. For me, volunteering is about having fun. So, I spend two hours having fun playing games. So, I always recommend my volunteer program, same thing.
Okay, that’s it. We're finished.
