Cash boost for Patagonia Welsh project considered

The Welsh first minister says he is ready to consider more funding for a Welsh language project in the Argentine region of Patagonia.

He made the comments on the final day of a visit to the Chubut province to mark 150th celebrations of the first Welsh settlers arriving.

The Welsh government currently gives £56,000 to the Welsh Language Project in Chubut.

The project has been running since 1997 to promote Welsh in the area.

Every year, three language development officers from Wales spend from March to December teaching in Patagonia.

There is also a permanent teaching co-ordinator from Wales based in the region, responsible for the quality of teaching.

The scheme also receives funding from the British Council and the Wales-Argentina Society.

'Big difference'

But there are calls for more money.

The project's academic monitor, Gareth Kiff said: "We would like to develop the Welsh language even more in Patagonia and for that we need finance."

An extra £20,000 or £30,000 would make a "big difference" according to Mr Kiff.

The first minister saw first hand how the scheme has helped, as he visited one of only two schools in the region that teach through the medium of Welsh and Spanish.

Carwyn Jones sang along to Sosban Fach with children at Ysgol yr Hendre in Trelew before describing the "tremendous" work that the Welsh Language Project does.

"Thirty years ago people said Patagonia - great - but the language was going to die there. Nothing could be done to save it," he said.

"And yet we see that what's being done here means that the language will be transferred now to new generations."

He added that any request for further funding would be considered in time.

Carwyn Jones also visited Gaiman during his final day of official visits, before flying to the Andes where a third bilingual Welsh and Spanish school is being built in Trevelin.