PTIS – Projeto Transnacional de Inclusão Social” (Transnational Social Inclusion Project)

Project n°11

INTRODUCTION

The project “PTIS – Projeto Transnacional de Inclusão Social” (Transnational Social Inclusion project), financed by FEADER, through the Portuguese 2020 Rural Development Program, had as partners two LAGs from the north of Portugal (ADRIMAG and Associação Douro Histórico) and several public and private entities from Cape Verde and São Tome and Príncipe. The idea of the transnational cooperation project emerged following the experience acquired by the two LAGs, in the implementation of projects that promote social inclusion of population groups that reveal great levels of social fragility in their territories, mobilizing the integrated action of different agents and local resources. As a way of disseminating this experience, this project was created, implemented mainly in Cape Verde, but also in São Tomé and Príncipe, where children and young people were the target audience.

PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES

The project was designed based on the promotion of entrepreneurial attitudes, family farming, the social integration of children and young people, the training of families and the protection of the rights of children and young people. The objectives were achieved by promoting entrepreneurial attitudes among young people; promotion social integration from a perspective of community involvement of children and young people; the training of families; training children and leaders through activities aimed at the target audience; the protection of the rights of children and young people; the development of technical support actions for the self-organization of the inhabitants.

THE ADDED VALUE OF THE PROJECT

Cooperation is one of LEADER principles and is essential for effective intervention in territories, responding the problems, needs and different expectations. To achieve this, it´s important to leave the comfort zone, look for partners, invest in innovation, dissemination and awareness, which is why this was the main objective for the construction and execution of this project.

A broad partnership was established, through several collaboration protocols between the two Portuguese LAGs and public and private partners from Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe, countries that belong to the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, including the Educational and Community Project of Terra Boa, Middle School Olavo Moniz, Sal Municipality, Porto Novo Municipality and Água Grande Municipality.

The partnership established was essential for the pursuit of the objectives, as well as for the success of their execution.

Terra Boa is a very poor neighbourhood located in Espargos City, on Sal Island, Cape Verde, where more than 60% of residents are children and young people, where the majority of the population lives in degraded houses without access to running water and electricity.

The Educational and community project of Terra Boa is an association created by residents of that community and their goal is to promote health care, education and nutrition for children and young people in that community. Aware of this reality and because of the experience of the LAGs in implementing social inclusion projects, they promoted a Social Entrepreneurship Competition, aimed at young people in those territories, who had to present innovative and creative project ideas to be implemented in Terra Boa and that would have a significant impact there. Of the young people who submitted applications, 22 were selected to replicate their ideas in the Terra Boa Community. The 22 young people travelled to Cape Verde, to participate in a Social Entrepreneurship Boot Camp, putting their projects into practice in that same community.

In addition to promoting entrepreneurial skills among young Portuguese people, with the promotion of a program of pedagogical and recreative activities, the Bootcamp allowed knowledge Cape Verde´s social reality, as well as the exchange and sharing of experiences, training and inclusion of Cape Verdean children and young people. The work was carried out to improve the Association´s facilities, educational activities and artistic expression, physical and plastic expression, promotion of sessions to encourage entrepreneurship and vocational guidance and actions in the community to raise environmental awareness. The seed of generosity remained in this community, the desire to continue providing education to those children and young people, aware that this is the key to a life with better conditions.

The partnership continues, with permanent contacts between the partners involved. The contacts between Portuguese young people and cape Verdean children and young people had an effective impact in both territories, promoting the sustainability of the project and replication, particularly for other LAGs.