After reopening in 2019 due to a population surge, the unit school in Negueira de Muñiz, Galicia’s least populated municipality, closed its doors again last school year. Only 6 children had enrolled the previous year, falling short of the minimum required student ratio. But before all that, Aida, one of its teachers, told us about the advantages of having a small student body.

José do Marqués, a humble shepherd from Puxedo (Lobios, Ourense), passed away a few months ago after a lifetime dedicated to the land. It was common to see him walking around the village with his flock of sheep. Like so many people, he believed in his farm animals and in a life deeply connected to the place where he was born. Despite witnessing the emptying of the area in recent years, he kept going out with his sheep almost until the end: “It’s sadder to have nothing”.