O Testemunho do Nord

Hello, my name is Nord. I’m 19 years old and I come from Spain. I’ve been living in Lisbon for around two months now, and looking back at this short period, it already feels like a much longer and deeper experience than I expected. It has been intense in every sense: emotionally, socially, and personally. 

This is not an easy experience. It requires constant adaptation, effort, and patience with yourself. There are days when everything feels new and overwhelming, when simple things become a challenge. But at the same time, I feel a very strong inner motivation that pushes me forward. I would say the effort is big, but the motivation is even bigger.

I truly see this as a unique opportunity in life. I don’t think experiences like this come often, and I believe it’s something that everyone should consider doing at least once. It takes you out of your comfort zone in a very real way, and it forces you to grow without planning it. You don’t just learn things here—you change your perspective.

During these two months, I’ve been discovering many new places around the city and beyond, and each one has its own atmosphere and story. Lisbon itself is full of life, light, and contrast, and I often find myself just observing everything around me, trying to absorb it all. At the same time, I’ve met people from different countries, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, and that mix of personalities has been one of the most enriching parts of this journey.

Little by little, I feel like I’m rediscovering myself as a person. I’m learning what I like, how I react in new environments, and how I adapt to situations I’ve never experienced before. There is something very powerful about starting almost from zero in a new place, where nothing is fully familiar and everything has to be built step by step.

One of the things I enjoy the most is learning a new language and being surrounded by a different culture. It opens your mind in ways that are hard to explain. Even everyday things become interesting when you are fully immersed in another country. New ideas, new habits, new ways of seeing life… everything feels like it adds something to you.

I also find a lot of value in the small moments: conversations, shared experiences, unexpected encounters, and simple daily routines that slowly become part of your life here. All of this is shaping my experience in a way that feels very real and meaningful.

I know this is just the beginning of my time here, but I already feel very grateful for it. It is challenging, yes, but it is also one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, and I’m excited to keep discovering what comes next.

                                         

O Testemunho da Alice

‘I find myself writing this final reflection in my last month here. These nine months have flown by: it feels like just yesterday that I arrived in Lisbon, and at the same time, I feel like I have lived every moment to the fullest. It has been an intense, full of life.

This experience has enriched me in every way, both professionally and personally. I know that leaving this place—especially the school where I worked—will be very difficult. I have contributed, even in a small way, to the growth of these children, and for almost a year I have been part of a team of educators who welcomed me with open arms from the very beginning.

I will deeply miss the life I have built here, a life that, in some way, has become home.

I remember the first week: it was very challenging. I was afraid of not being up to the project, of not finding people who were like me. And yet, shortly after, everything became so simple and natural.

I had the opportunity to visit much of Portugal, a country that never stops surprising you. I had the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture and I’ll be taking home a bit more knowledge of Portuguese (even if I can’t say I’ve fully learned it 😊). I lived in a city I found truly beautiful. Lisbon has so much to offer, and it’s special to experience it not just as a tourist, but to really live it—gradually making once unfamiliar places feel like your own.

I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I feel that I have gained a wealth of experience that only traveling can give. But above all, it is the people you meet who make these experiences truly special—their impact is something that often leaves you speechless.’

O Testemunho do Alessandro

Hello people, I’m Alessandro and I’m from Italy.

Right now, I’ve been here in Lisbon for more than one month, and for the first time I can look back and see the beginning of my journey here from a different perspective.

My last months were incredibly chaotic, and only now I’m starting to fully realize that I’m really here.

My story here and the beginning with Spin felt like signs from destiny that I decided to follow. I was in Romania for my first training course project, in the middle of the countryside, far away from home, when I received the call from Roberta and Caterina.

I didn’t think too much about it and I just flew here. Right now, this is the philosophy of life that I’m trying to follow.

I come from a small town in the north of Italy, and for me this experience represents my first big challenge abroad and in a big city.

I changed everything in my life during the last year, and Spin and Portugal represent a new great beginning for me.

It wasn’t easy to start. Homesickness and differences are not always easy to handle, but here I found a magical place and a truly incredible group of people: beautiful because everyone is so diverse and different, but at the same time close to who I am. So many stories crossing each other, so many souls that, for one reason or another, find themselves walking together.

My first evening at Casa Anjos, when I met my flatmates Colin, Inka, Alvaro, Nord, Djibril, Alessandra and Jule, feels like a lifetime ago, and now they are part of my everyday life.

I think it’s like living inside a movie, but not only because of the house: the neighborhood, the miradouro, Caracol Park, the sunsets on the stairs, the wind while you are walking somewhere near the Tagus… everything feels unreal. And maybe exactly because it feels like a dream, my wish is to adapt as much as possible and become the protagonist of this movie myself, helping and listening to other people and their stories.

During my days, between the metro and buses stuck in traffic, I’m having the chance to work with amazing groups in Barrio Padre Cruz, in Carnide.

At the Natalia Correia Library everything feels like family, from the activities with children in the local kindergartens to the coffees with Maria and Paulinha, who welcomed me and made me feel at home as if I were their son.

I can take part in many activities by following my creativity and helping with the preparation of cultural projects, using my ideas and working together with the team.

Since I completely changed my life one year ago, I’ve been trying to become passionate about new things and worlds completely different from my past.

In my free time here in Lisbon, a whole sea of new opportunities has opened up in front of me, from Portuguese language circles to breathtaking landscapes to explore.

One of my biggest passions is discovering, seeing, and immersing myself in new places, also to let myself be inspired when I write stories, and in this first month I’ve already seen corners of Portugal that made me emotional and infinitely grateful for choosing to come here.

The adventure has just begun, and I want to continue like this: discovering unforgettable places and meeting people with incredible stories!

O Testemunho da Inka

Hi, i am Inka. I have now been in Lisbon for quite some time, and the days have flown by. Life here has been a mix of figuring out the public transportation, getting slightly lost in new neighborhoods, and slowly finding little favorite places like cafés and bookstores.

I come from a small countryside town in Finland, so living in a big city is new for me. It feels both exciting and a little intimidating. Still, I think I'm actually a city person at heart, and the colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, and breathtaking views have made it easy to fall in love with this city. 

I had actually been to Lisbon once before in early December last year for an APV, which was my first time ever in the city. Because of that short visit, arriving on my own in February felt less overwhelming. I already had some familiar streets in mind and a small sense of how the city works. Even so, there were plenty of things I only started to understand once I was really living here. Choosing to come still felt like a leap into the unknown, but I knew I would rather take it than stay at home wondering what if.

Settling in at Spin has been a gradual process. The first days were slow as I learned the routines and got familiar with different tasks, but over time I started taking on more responsibility. The team has been incredibly welcoming and supportive, which has made it much easier to feel at home.

My days here continue to bring new experiences, challenges, and small successes. I'm still unsure about my own abilities, but I'm taking things one day at a time and treating this primarily as a learning experience. This is only my second time volunteering, as well as my first long-term project and first experience living abroad, so there's plenty that's new for me, but I'm fully determined to make the most of this experience!

O Testemunho do ALMA Interns

Hey, we Are the ALMA Interns!

When we arrived in Lisbon, Álvaro and Roberta picked us up straight away from the airport and took us to our new home. There we met our flatmates – all really open and friendly, so we felt at home straight away.

In the first few days, we explored some of the city’s sights and got a first impression of Lisbon. On Saturday, we then immersed ourselves in the nightlife, which was definitely a highlight. On Sunday, we went to a football match with our flatmates – a really cool experience.

Overall, we really enjoyed the first week here. The work placement has also started recently, and we were welcomed with open arms from the start and integrated well into the team. We are excited to see what happens in the coming weeks.

O Testemunho do Colin

Hey, I’m Colin from Liechtenstein.

I joined this project through a friend from Liechtenstein. I visited him in Lisbon a few years ago while he was working at SPIN, and since then I knew I wanted to come back for a longer time. After finishing my education at the bank, it finally worked out.

My trip started with some delays in Zurich because of a storm, but when I arrived, everything went smoothly. Álvaro picked me up, showed me how public transport works, and made the start here really easy.

At “Casa Anjos,” I met my roommates Jule and Alessandra, and I felt welcome straight away. A few days later, Inka joined us, and now it already feels like a nice little routine together.

Starting at SPIN was easy to get into. We got a good introduction, and I could take on my first tasks quickly, which helped me settle in fast.

Outside of work, I’ve been bouldering a few times and also started making music again. Lisbon has a really inspiring vibe for that.

On the weekend, we went out and also checked out Carnival. It reminded me a bit of “Fasnacht” back home — good atmosphere and lots of people enjoying the moment.

Overall, my first weeks were really positive. I settled in quickly, met great people, and I’m looking forward to what’s coming next.

O testemunho do João

 

«A minha viagem a Sofia em Bulgária foi uma experiência inesquecível, ter tido o poder para escapar à confusão da cidade, ao caos da burocracia e à incerteza do futuro, fez-me bem psicologicamente e mesmo fisicamente.

Ter tido a oportunidade de poder genuinamente ser útil e ajudar as comunidades mais desfavorecidas e crianças em situações precárias foi o que me faltava para me sentir útil e que genuinamente conseguia fazer alguma diferença.

Fora também a experiência intrínseca de poder contribuir para a sociedade, ter ido de pernas abertas para um sítio onde não conhecia nada nem geograficamente nem culturalmente durante 2 meses fez me crescer mais socialmente e psicologicamente e deu-me uma aprendizagem que me vai ficar para a vida.

Passear por entre os lagos em Rila ou caminhar pelas montanhas de Vitosha ou até mesmo só ir a um parque em sofia à noite com uma cerveja na mão e aprender da cultura do povo búlgaro, é algo que nunca esquecerei e que irei guardar até hoje quer seja as memórias, os amigos ou as experiências de vida.»