A Project That Regenerates Through Welcome

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Terra de Abrigo was a multidimensional community-based hosting program in Portugal to welcome Afghan refugees—activists for peace and human rights. The aim was to foster the development of personal and social skills leading to self-sufficiency, while simultaneously ensuring opportunities for professional integration and a sense of belonging in the region.

Inspired by permaculture principles, the project sought to weave human regeneration—essential for those starting anew—with the regeneration of the land and the ongoing agroecological transition in Mértola.

Part of the “Bolsa de Terras – Regenerar Mértola” initiative, Terra de Abrigo was created to address two systemic challenges: the international flow of people for humanitarian reasons and rural depopulation. Thus, it aimed to integrate a group of young Afghans into an increasingly depopulated territory, involving them actively in a process of ecological and social regeneration.

The hosting program was built to include several dimensions: professional training (with a focus on regenerative agriculture), language learning, psycho-emotional coaching, and community integration—promoting holistic regeneration beneficial to both newcomers and the host community.

The hospitality model developed in Mértola was later replicated by national and international partners