The “CASA – Together we build our House!” project was presented in Lamego, an initiative approved within the scope of the “Healthy Neighborhoods” program. With funding of 50,000 euros, the project provides for social, environmental and urban intervention with the community of the Bairro Social of Quinta de Santo António, to promote the quality of life of residents and encourage social integration.
The “HOUSE (Community, Affections, Dreams, Ambitions) – Together we build our House!” is a project by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lamego and the Obra Kolping de Portugal, in partnership with the Lamego City Council, the Lamego Parish Council (Almacave and Sé) and the Portuguese Red Cross – Lamego delegation, which aims to train and involve local communities for their effective social integration.
The presentation ceremony of the project “CASA – Together we build our House!” was attended by the Vice-President of CML, Catarina Ribeiro, who explained “the project approved under the Healthy Neighborhoods program” for Lamego is an excellent opportunity to solve previously identified needs in the Quinta de Santo António Social Neighborhood and improve the quality life of the resident community. It has the advantage of being led by a team that brings together different entities, which will allow an integrated approach and cooperation of different valences to try to solve, in the coming months, small problems according to the defined axes.”
The three axes of intervention, namely at a social, environmental and urban level, aim to foster relations between the residents of the Quinta de Santo António Social Neighborhood and the local community, encourage social integration and rehabilitate common spaces in the building. The intervention focuses on solving the needs identified locally, through the promotion of actions to support the study and development of personal, social and professional skills; valuing the cultural identity of local communities, as a vehicle for inclusion and social cohesion; qualification and rehabilitation of common spaces and buildings and also the promotion of environmental education actions.
As a partner entity, Lamego City Council will provide a space for the technical team to work daily on the ground.
The project “HOUSE – Together we build our House!” was one of 246 projects approved in 774 applications received by the “Bairros Saudáveis” program, with a maximum amount of 50,000 euros as funding. This program is aimed at populations residing in neighborhoods and other territories, and they must meet certain requirements, namely: poor housing conditions; low incomes; young people of school age not attending school or with a high percentage of failure; people in situations of social exclusion or abandonment; people at risk in the case of COVID-19 and with constraints in accessing health care.
