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Jean Paul Bidias-Ndoe was just 15 years old when he attempted the perilous journey from Africa to Europe. In 2010, aboard a small boat with five others and just four oars, he set out across the Strait of Gibraltar, hoping to reach Spanish shores. Exhausted, disoriented and close to drowning, Jean Paul was rescued by the Guardia Civil. That moment not only saved his life but also defined it.

 

Fifteen years later, Jean Paul has officially joined the ranks of the Guardia Civil himself. Earlier this month, he received his diploma as part of the 120th graduating class at the corps’ academy in Baeza, Jaén, where 2,495 new agents completed their training.

 

Jean Paul, who now holds Spanish citizenship, has been assigned to Murcia, where he will spend the next nine months in a training placement at the Caravaca de la Cruz post.

 

Speaking to the Ministry of the Interior, which shared his story on social media, Jean Paul reflected on the moment that changed everything. “It was a situation in which you don’t know if you’re going to make it... and when the patrol arrived, we said: ‘Finally, someone has arrived who is going to help us.’”

 

For him, the Guardia Civil were true “guardian angels”.

 

Born in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, Jean Paul left his homeland due to the difficult conditions his family was facing. After his rescue, he was placed in a minors’ centre in Alcaudete, Jaén. Upon turning 18, he moved to Jaén city and later to Linares, working in a warehouse while continuing his studies with a clear goal: to one day join the Guardia Civil himself.

 

His path was not easy. He combined physically demanding jobs with long hours of study, determined to give back to the country that had given him a second chance.

 

“If they were able to help me and I am where I am, I think I can do the same for other people who need it,” he said.

 

Jean Paul is now one of 165 new Guardia Civil officers assigned to the Region of Murcia this summer, a notable increase from the 89 posted in the summer of 2024. Caravaca de la Cruz is one of several locations in the region where the new recruits will complete their practical training, mentored by experienced officers until March 2026.

 

Reflecting on his journey, Jean Paul admits, “When I decided to come, it was like a game; I wasn’t really aware of the danger I was facing.”

 

He now urges others, especially young Africans, not to follow the same dangerous path, insisting that there are better, safer ways to build a future.

 

As well as the 165 Guardia Civil officers completing their training in the Region of Murcia this summer, the province is preparing to fill 106 permanent positions by September.

 

For Jean Paul, however, his placement is more than just a job: it is the fulfilment of a dream rooted in hope, survival and the desire to serve.

 

The boy once rescued from the sea now stands proudly in uniform, ready to be someone else’s guardian angel.

 

 

Image: Ministerio del Interior