The GRACE Link for Impact Academy recognizes Ermelinda Borrega’s project, “Horta que Une – Cultivar Pessoas, Colher Comunidade,” but above all, it establishes itself as a model for incubating, collaborating on, and developing impact solutions.
Developed as part of the “Volunteering 360°” initiative, the theme of this edition of the GRACE Link for Impact Academy, the project aims to revitalize an underutilized agricultural space at the APPACDM in Elvas, transforming it into an inclusive community garden with the participation of people with disabilities, senior volunteers, college students, and the local community.
The proposal addresses challenges such as the social and occupational exclusion of people with disabilities, the isolation of the elderly, and the need to strengthen coordination among social organizations, businesses, higher education institutions, and the community. The produce will be used for the institution’s own consumption, with any surplus being sold at the local market.
The GRACE Link for Impact Academy does more than just recognize an idea: it creates the conditions to develop, test, and consolidate it. The project will receive a 5,000-euro grant to support its development, as well as mentoring and incubation support.
These conditions will make it possible to refine the solution, support its implementation on the ground, and develop the technology needed to monitor and measure the impact generated. Specifically, the proposal calls for the creation of an application that connects the various project stakeholders. This platform will make it possible to track the entire cycle of activities, from their inception to the recording of results and the measurement of their impact.
The goal of this edition is for “Horta que Une – Cultivating People, Harvesting Community” to be more than just the selection of a winner. The goal is to develop a solution that can be tested, refined, and subsequently replicated, while maintaining the spirit of collaboration among social organizations, businesses, volunteers, educational institutions, and the community.
GRACE Academy – Link for Impact is thus adopting a new model: a platform that brings together higher education, the business community, and social organizations to transform proposals into concrete and measurable solutions.
"Seeing the 'Horta que Une' project chosen as the winner was, for me, a source of immense joy and also confirmation that it’s worth believing in other ways of promoting inclusion. This project shows that people with disabilities are not merely on the receiving end: they can participate, produce, teach, build relationships, and play an active role in the community, alongside partners, volunteers, and higher education institutions."
"And it also had a very personal significance: I went back to school many years later and ended up bringing to the academy what I had learned over more than 24 years in the profession. Seeing that experience transformed into a recognized project was, without a doubt, very special," said Ermelinda Borrega.
