ASSOCIAÇÃO ENCONTRAR SONHOS

About us

ENCONTRAR SONHOS (Find A Dream) is a Charitable non-profit institution whose priority is to support mentally retarded youth / adults with all that is necessary, possible and desirable.
The charity was set up by a group of parents of young mentally retarded adults to give them a happier life and the certainty that they will be treated with the care and respect that they deserve.
The Charity is located close to the Southern Poruguese town of Silves and serves the local area.

This is about young people in the Algarve with mental illnesses and special care requirements. Sadly without any state support they desperately need our help. It is about Paulo and his friends. Paulo suffers from Down's Syndrome and his friends have other mental afflictions. Once over18 years of age all Portuguese Government and Local Council support ceases, so Paulo now 29 and his friends are dependent upon a privately run and funded government registered charity (see the Portuguese certificates) to get the special help they need.

The "Special Needs School", ASSOCIAÇÃO ENCONTRAR SONHOS, is tirelessly run by Cristina Cardoso Sopinha and her husband. The school is funded by the parents of those attending and as money got ever tighter in the economic crisis so the number attending has dropped from 12 to now just 4. The list of those who would like to attend is long but lack of money denies them a place.
Originally in rent free premises donated by the Silves council the school has had to move to temporary accommodation after burglars stole all their school equipment and even food. A long term home also needs money.
I have known Paulo's mother for some 25+ years, she is widowed and Paulo her only son. In an effort to help draw attention to the situation and raise funds for the cause a mutual friend is going to walk the “Rota Vincentina”, a classic trail in South Portugal which runs for some 230-250km from Santiago do Cacem to Cape St.Vincent. This will take approximately 12 days starting 12th April 2016. Every little helps so any support for the walk and the ASSOCIAÇÃO ENCONTRAR SONHOS will go a long way and make a real difference to those so needy and so close to home.