African migrants learn shepherding in Spain, in photos
Sudanese shepherd Osam Abdulmumen milks goats at farm in Los Cortijos, central Spain, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
LOS CORTIJOS, Spain (AP) — A government program in Spain is training African migrants as shepherds to tackle rural depopulation and job shortages. Osam Abdulmumen, a 25-year-old migrant from Sudan, is among those learning the trade. He herds sheep and goats in Castile-La Mancha, a region known for its sheep’s milk cheese.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
African students visit a sheep farm during a practical class on sheep care in Malagón, central Spain, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)A flock of sheep walks back to the stables in Los Cortijos, central Spain, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)African students visit a sheep farm during a practical class on sheep care in Malagón, central Spain, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)Shepherd Álvaro Esteban works inside the stable in Los Cortijos, central Spain, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)Shepherds Álvaro Esteban, left, Javi Esteban, center, and Osam Abdulmumen pause after milking a flock of sheep in Los Cortijos, central Spain, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)A shepherd dog observes a flock of sheep in Los Cortijos, central Spain, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)A flock of sheep roam inside the stables in Los Cortijos, central Spain, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)Sudanese shepherd Osam Abdulmumen shows a mobile picture of his migrant journey before arriving in Los Cortijos, central Spain, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)Shepherd Álvaro Esteban cures cheese inside the Manojar cheese factory in Los Cortijos, central Spain, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)Spanish shepherd Álvaro Esteban and Sudanese shepherd Osam Abdulmumen walk through the countryside while heading to gather a sheep herd in Los Cortijos, central Spain, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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