Associação C. J. Portugal

Batoto Yetu Portugal (BYP) is a non-profit youth and culture organisation, established in 1996, with the support of the Luso-American Development Foundation and the Oeiras City Council. Throughout its history, Batoto Yetu Portugal, which stands for “our children” in Swahili, has helped to socially include through the arts more than 1300 dancers and musicians, giving over 350 performances in national and international stages including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Angola, Cape Verde, and Senegal, along with performances on television shows. BYP’s target group is the youth, children and adults that have a connection to African culture. The association’s philosophy is based on the conviction that despite people’s diverse socioeconomic situations, the (re)discovery and appreciation of their cultural roots constitutes a fundamental factor for the consolidation of their self-esteem, sense of belonging and social inclusion. This, in turn, enables them to become active citizens and confident and responsible leaders in the future. Since 2006, the association has been gradually widening its intervention areas in order to expand its scope of action, as well as be recognised for the impact and quality of the activities which it carries out and for the capacity to respond to new contexts and beneficiaries. Currently, the association develops a diversified number of projects in the artistic and social fields, always seeking new opportunities that will allow it to expand its scope of action, especially in its priority intervention areas (social inclusion through the arts and culture, promotion of multiculturalism, and immigrant entrepreneurship). Since then, BYP has launched a number of projects, in partnership with the Luso-American Development Foundation, the Oeiras City Council, Oeiras Child Protection Agency and Caxias School District, among other partners, financed by the High Commissioner for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue and co-financed through European Structural Funds that allowed BYP to expand its scope of action, offering greater support to a broad disadvantaged population. In its continuing mission to respond new challenges, BYP has been expanding and improving its activities, launching new projects, forming partnerships and teaching more children.