Ass. Jovens Xendros em Movimento

Main fields of our activities: 1. Youth policy 2. Non-formal education and recognition of youth work 3. International cooperation 4. Development of civil society Our work has been acknowledged both by regional and national entities. Voluntarism and concentration characterize our work, which aims the education of the young people and this becomes considerably relevant in the communities development. Gradually, we have managed to orientate the young people in a region far from Lisbon and with serious social and financial needs, connected with various geographical obstacles. Generally speaking, our association aims to show that the youth in the rural areas can and should have the same opportunities that the youth in the urban areas have. Therefore we try to offer them activities that they can only carry out in the countryside, in which we try to match the countryside’s' best assets — the environment and nature— with the conditions they find in the cities. We often practice non competitive sports all kind organize by young people for the community; we organise debates on several issues, which are most appropriate to our youth, all aiming the protection of the environment; we promote awareness campaigns in which we conceive posters and fliers, we have partnership with several institutions around us, anyway with some of them we are very close and we have projects together, we work with schools in the region; an institution that supports people with severe mobility problems and a institution to support orphans in our region. We also make specific activities related with the Holidays, for example, Christmas, Easter and New Year. We create events related with the environment, for example, during the Summer our Association receives youngsters that pick up trash from the streets, go to the houses of the population sensitizes them to the practice of separating garbage, create posters, leaflets and videos depicting this theme, and then show the population. These young people make also the reuse of recyclable materials and make a statement in order to show the community. During the Summer we also have volunteers that go to the florets to protect them and prevent fires. To all this youngsters we give formation before the activities and a certificated after them. Our association has got its own facilities, which was built by our members. Despite some difficulties, we try to keep track of the new technologies, through our cyber space, which allows access to the Internet for everybody.