Joana Etxart is one of the pioneers of childcare. In 2014, they felt the need for such a space. Etxarte said: “As parents, the need arises from frustration. My son left the nursery to enter the ikastola. The experience I had with the nursery was very good on the one hand, but very hard with the Basque. He was in the nursery of Maule, and if on paper he is bilingual, officially or theoretically, in reality he is not bilingual. There is nothing designed to make Euskera speak and use it, previously seen. It means that the Basque speaking worker may be speaking an amini in Basque, but the elderly speak in French. My son studied Euskera with me and I did not study in nursery school. For me, it was a violent, hard life. The relationship I had with my son around the Basque country was hard. He had words like “Je veux encore” from the nursery and I asked him “that in Basque!” I was frustrated, and I saw that in my environment there were also many parents of my generation who were suffering at this level.” Etxart met with her mother, Joana Arantzet, and they didn't find a nanny who worked exclusively in Euskera. Etxart thought it was a black situation. Thus it was discovered that in Anglet they departed a Casa de Niñeras (MAM Maison D’assistantes Maternelles). The workers were Basque speakers and would speak in Basque.

From 2017 eight children throughout the day

In 2014 Etxart and Arantzet and in January 2016 the Xübükota was already in operation. Renting and refurbishing a 97-square-meter building in downtown Maule has not been easy. The two parents created the Ttipi Ttapa association for this purpose and launched a campaign of fundraising over the Internet. The Basque Government intended to raise EUR 3,000 and managed to exceed the figure. Etxart was not very happy with the response of the institutions in the video he made in Kanaldude. He says that in the General Council they knocked on the door a couple of times and they say it's a good idea, but it's not certain they're interested, "or you see what needs to be seen. I feel that many things are being smoked, I repeat. If you don't speak Basque in two years, at that age when you learn the language... I'm sorry." Earlier this year it was also not funded by the House of the People of Maule and the Public College of Zuberoa. Months later, the Colegio Público has donated 4,000 euros. Udalbiltza included daycare in her life and work project in the Basque Pyrenees, and earmarked 4,000 euros for the implementation of the Xübükerga. The Basque Public Office has offered them books and games.

Luxi Agergarai and Marion Cazenave, two nannies, each of them can take care of three children throughout the day, from two months to three years. So you have six kids all day long and they go from time to time. By the end of this year each of them will be able to enjoy a full fourth day. Therefore, in 2017 there will be eight children who will have the opportunity to stay all day in Xübükos. The two nannies cannot respond to all the requests. Agergarai and Cazenave are happy because they are fulfilling their desires, they work in Euskera in Zuberoa, and the children have the opportunity to listen to Euskera in the center of Maule. In fact, most fathers and mothers know Euskera, but not both. Their main objective is for boys and girls to listen to Basque. They also value other characteristics, such as the small space and the small number of children. There are two other forms of childcare, one dedicated to four children or less in the private house and another, the classic daycare, which can accommodate between 15-20 and 25 children.

Sylvie Genez prefers the immersion model

Sylvie Geneze is Antton's mother. The little one is only a few months old. Genez explains to Kanaldude why he and his partner wanted the child to enter the Xübükota kindergarten: “We’ve chosen Antton’s implantation in this nursery for two reasons. On the one hand, being Euskaldun is one of the most important aspects, I don't speak Basque or a lot of bad. I live in the Basque Country, so it is important that the culture and language of Antton be linked to the Basque country. My son's nanny was also Basque, so I made that choice. Knowing that last January I was no longer a nanny, I searched for another Basque nanny. We found Luxi and his program delighted us. The Basque country is very important, but we also very much liked its project. We also liked the site. We weren't going to install Antton in an Euskaldun nursery if it wasn't a proper place.

The Basque country is very important, but also the environment that is going to expand. These are the criteria on which our choice is based. I prefer immersion, because I do not feel able to transmit the Basque to my son. I speak badly, I make mistakes. So I can speak my mother tongue, in French, with my children. I am one of the camps, in my family, among my friends, there are few Basques, on the other hand, on the part of my friend, in Muskildi, most of them are Basques. Of course, they're speaking in Euskera, so Antton will talk easily with her grandmothers, aunties or cusis, and the next step will be the ikastola. It will increase in a shared environment. In addition, my daughter's friends are talking about French, and Antton will also have to engage in that environment, because it is a language that everyone knows, and also the Basques. A month ago we were in this nursery and we were very happy. Immersion does not have much influence, because there is no talk yet, but we are happy with the team, with the place, with the project and with the Basque environment”.