Lisbon International Cultural Association
Calçado do desterro, 5Lj
1150-125 Lisboa
البرتغال
- Youth and education
Lica association is composed of two employees, a coordinator, a mediator, and several volunteers. Its main mission is to provide Portuguese courses at levels A1 and A2 to immigrant populations, primarily from Southwest Asia. Recently, the association won a program called BipZIp, awarded by the Lisbon region, to help diversify its actions and enable it to offer more training, free of charge, to the public already frequenting its premises. The budget allocated to these missions for the year is €37,748. The name of the project is Efficiency and Employability. This project aims to contribute to reducing inequalities in access to employment and a dignified life for the migrant population. Migrants face various challenges in their integration, such as cultural and language barriers, and difficulties in proving their experience and qualifications in the Portuguese job market. Thus, this year, we will be able to offer training in hospitality and catering, as well as free Portuguese courses, allowing us to achieve a multidimensional approach to integration. We rely on our close partners: Bandim, a cooperative for migrant women in sewing; Renovar in Mouraria, focusing mainly on administrative issues associated with immigration; Inovinter, a state-recognized training center that provides our training programs; and Cozinha Popular, an association that promotes access to healthy and affordable cuisine.
Lica stands out as an association created by members of the community themselves, fostering an environment of trust due to mutual understanding of needs. This inherent trust leads to greater sustainability in our actions. This year, our goal is to empower migrant individuals in specific areas tailored to their needs and interests. We recognize that the language barrier poses a major obstacle to employment for this population. Therefore, we prioritize practical training in hospitality and catering alongside Portuguese language instruction to enhance professional advancement opportunities. Additionally, we emphasize the possibility for caregivers to bring their children to training sessions, thereby facilitating their participation. The areas we target have been informally identified, ensuring alignment with community interests. Furthermore, we aim to encourage informal interactions among project participants, providing opportunities to share difficulties and support each other, thus fostering cooperation and combating isolation. In addition to our primary missions, we strive to build a strong network of partners, acknowledging the complexity of integration issues, which can range from access to information and documentation to employment assistance, language acquisition, and physical and mental health support. Therefore, we place paramount importance on active participation in various networks addressing cultural, educational, and integration issues. In addition to our close partners, we have informal partnerships that naturally develop within Lica due to the strong sense of community within our establishment. Moreover, the precarious nature of civil society actions in Portugal, resulting from limited resources and short funding cycles often lasting no more than a year, underscores the necessity for a developed partner network. Integration challenges cannot be adequately addressed within such limited timeframes. The fragility of employment conditions in the civil society sector necessitates strong networks for each association to effectively fulfill its missions.
This year, our missions are primarily centered around the following activities: 1. Portuguese Classes: This activity involves providing Portuguese classes to migrant participants in the project. Although our association already offers Portuguese classes, they are paid. Therefore, we aim to include free access to these classes for project participants, thereby contributing to greater integration and empowerment. We believe that many interested individuals may not have the financial means to attend our classes otherwise. 2. Housekeeping: This activity entails conducting a certified housekeeping training program designed for migrants who wish to acquire or improve their professional skills in this area. The training sessions/workshops may cover topics such as laundry and linen management, cleaning techniques, hygiene, disinfection, and guest communication. The training will be conducted by a qualified and experienced trainer, while workshops will be led by migrants with practical experience in the field. 3. Culinary Arts: We offer culinary training sessions/workshops for project participants interested in this field. The sessions will cover cooking techniques, food hygiene, quality standards, sustainability, customer service, diversity, and culinary innovation. The training will be delivered by qualified and experienced trainers, with workshops facilitated by migrants with practical experience. 4. Child and Elderly Care: This activity involves providing training sessions/workshops on child and elderly care for those interested in working in this field. The training will be conducted by qualified and experienced trainers, as well as migrants with relevant experience in the sector. 5. Experience Sharing: This activity aims to facilitate 6 sessions of experience sharing among participants. These sessions are crucial for creating a welcoming and friendly environment, providing opportunities to meet people going through similar experiences and challenges. Experience sharing sessions are fundamental to the project as they not only motivate and integrate participants but also contribute to the creation of informal networks, fostering the adaptation and success of immigrants in Portugal.
As highlighted earlier, we are an association founded by members of the community themselves. Our main strength lies precisely in the diversity of our technical team and the variety of Lica users. The diversity within our technical team brings a wealth of perspectives, experiences, and skills. By bringing together individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and life paths, we benefit from a multitude of ideas, approaches, and solutions to address the diverse needs of our community. Similarly, the diversity among our users is an invaluable source of enrichment. By welcoming members from various backgrounds, ethnicities, languages, and socio-economic levels, we create an inclusive space where everyone feels valued and respected. This diversity also promotes cultural exchange, mutual understanding, and solidarity within our community. Together, by leveraging this diversity within our team and among our users, we strengthen our ability to understand, support, and effectively serve the varied needs of our community. It is this unique asset that distinguishes Lica and guides our commitment to inclusive integration and a fairer society.
LICA positions itself as a comprehensive response to current challenges, adopting an integrated and coherent approach to foster a more inclusive and resilient society. We prioritize giving space to our community to express its needs and strive to address them actively. Our collaborative initiatives foster exchanges of ideas, experiences, and perspectives, placing dialogue at the heart of positive change. We aim to empower individuals and communities to drive progress and promote better mutual understanding. We also believe that the Anna Lindh Foundation can help enhance our mission. By providing us with broader insights into international policies, assisting in expanding our network, and facilitating exchanges with partners across different territories from Portugal.
