Integration Starts With Belonging

The Lisbon Project's mission is to build a community that integrates and empowers migrants and refugees. Our vision is to see every migrant and refugee feel at home in Portugal!

Last year alone, we reached over 4,000 people from all over the world!

Story time: Mara is an asylum seeker from Ghana, she fled because she did what any mother would do to protect her children. When her daughter was in danger of being yet another victim of female genital mutilation, Mara picked up and left to Portugal. She was 38 weeks pregnant and went into labour at the Lisbon Airport, she was rushed to hospital and gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy. Everything was fine, until a nurse that was unaware of asylum law, decided Mara did not have resources or the network to parent and separated her from her two children. Mara contacted the Lisbon Project, we mobilized our partner lawyers and after a 3 month legal battle, reunited this family!

Story time #2: Mohsin is a refugee from northern Iraq, he fled at age 16 when his mother begged him to go find safety and freedom. A teenage boy fleeing war, he crossed borders, faced prison, and a life threatening boat trip. In Greece, he was selected to come to Portugal through a relocation program. One month after being in Portugal, Moshin met Gabriela Faria, founder of the LP at a park. The rest is history! Through the LP, Moshin learned English and Portuguese, found a job, lost that job (because integration is not always linear), we got him 3 more, more than anything, he found a community characterized by love and grace. Today Mohsin is autonomous, a wonderful chef, speaks fluent portuguese and is family at the LP. He recently tattooed our logo with the word "peace" underneath. 

Check Mohsin's story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HMR9EHCpKs

How can you help? Be a generous donor to our mission! Help us empower our community through vital services like:

• Education - Portuguese language courses and tutoring for children.
• Employability - training, career development and job placement opportunities.
• Bureaucratic Support - navigating and understanding Portuguese institutions.
• Benevolence - support with essential items for especially vulnerable families.
• Community Life - activities promoting community that builds a sense of belonging, cultural exchanges and relationships in safe spaces. 
• Social Care - connection to other social care organizations that support in areas like homelessness, domestic abuse and others.

We need to raise 200k to reach 5000 migrants and refugees in 2025, help us reach our goal and transform lives! Thank you! ♥