Sandrose School for refugies

The Swiss Sandrose Foundation wants to make a contribution for young refugees to find a dignified  way into Europe. In a self-organized school, refugees should acquire practical knowledges and be able to take along that expertise in their future life. They will receive a simple training in crafts and horticulture. And it does not matter, whether they have a guaranteed refugee status or they would later on have to return to their country of origin in the asylum procedure.

The Sandrose Foundation owns 11 hectares of agricultural estate near the town of Lagos on the Portuguese Algarve: the Quinta Moita Redonda. Training workshops will be created on this site with the help of the migrants. Schooling will be provided there in a wide range of simple basic craftwork for wood and metal work, natural stone work, painting, construction, gardening and much more. With excursions into the wild coastal landscape we want to promote the perception of nature and ecological knowledge.

The program and the contents of the lesson are defined together with the young people. In the practical part of the training courses a teaching pavilion and other facilities will be built for the school. The Sandrose Foundation expects the participants to active cooperation and to be willing to do themselves whatever they are able to do on their own. But also to learn what they still have to learn. These principles are presupposed by the Sandrose Foundation and have to be understood by all parti-cipants beyond any doubt. So the Sandrose Foundation is looking for private helpers and organizations which convey this information in the arrival areas of the refugees and take over the selection of suitable participants for this exemplary project.

 The Sandrose Foundation provides the location and the technical infrastructure which already is under construction. Participants in groups are accommodated in temporary tent camps or in lodgings, for teaching assistants individual rooms or apartments are available. The teaching staff is organized by the Sandrose Foundation and cooperation partners. The Sandrose Foundation wants to help dedicated participants in the follow-up to the simple training camps with targeted measures and offers.

Portugal has offered the European Union to accommodate and integrate more refugees. The Sandrose Foundation wants to support this policy with its own effort. Therefore we are looking for supporters and cooperation partners in the Algarve region, Portugal, Central Europe, Italy and Greece. A research trip to Sicily and Rome showed that our idea was warmly received by all contacted persons and organizations and we were assured full support and cooperation for the implementation.