On a warm Wednesday evening in the heart of Arroios, one of Lisbon’s most multicultural neighborhoods, a gathering of migrants, volunteers, and community members fills the air with warmth, laughter, and conversation. The setting is the Lisbon Project, a unique organization led by Gabriela Faria, whose vision and passion for helping migrants and refugees has turned the space into a haven of support and belonging.
As we meet with Faria for an interview, the hum of activity surrounds us, yet there’s a calmness to her presence.
When asked about her personal life, Gabriela’s face lights up as she talks about her two daughters, Jade and Sky. “I have two beautiful girls,” she says proudly, “and motherhood has made me more confident. If I can raise two humans, I feel like I can do anything.”
But long before she became a mother and a leader in Lisbon, Gabriela was a curious child, constantly asking questions. “I was always inquisitive,” she says with a smile. “I think we should all ask more questions. The world would be a better place if we were all more curious.” This sense of curiosity has been a guiding principle throughout her life, leading her from a childhood dream of becoming a football player to studying politics and international relations in Scotland.
But as life often does, it took her in a different direction. Today, Gabriela is the CEO of the Lisbon Project and pastor of Riverside Lisbon Church. While her life path has been varied, the common thread, she says, is justice. “That remained.”
“I’m Portuguese South African,” she explains. “My parents are Portuguese, but immigrants in South Africa. I was born there, and then we came back to Portugal.” Her experiences living abroad, including her time studying in Scotland, have given her a unique perspective on identity, migration, and community.
A vision of community and connection
Gabriela Faria’s journey with the Lisbon Project began with a simple but powerful idea: to build a community that integrates and empowers migrants and refugees. “It was born eight years ago, at least in my heart,” she reflects, “idealizing or dreaming of a community that would be truly inclusive and diverse, with people relating to one another and asking questions before making assumptions.”
The moment of inspiration struck when Gabriela was back in Portugal, visiting her family after studying abroad. “I started meeting migrants and refugees, sitting at the table, hearing about their lives,” she recalls. It wasn’t just the common struggles—finding jobs or learning the notoriously difficult Portuguese language—that stood out. It was the recurring theme of loneliness and isolation.
“I realized I’m not a lawyer, I’m not a doctor, I don’t have all the answers. But I think I can mobilize people,” Gabriela says. “We can create a community where you’re no longer alone.”
And that’s exactly what she set out to do. The vision of the Lisbon Project is simple but profound: to ensure that every migrant and refugee in Portugal feels at home.
One step at a time
Creating the Lisbon Project wasn’t easy, but Gabriela didn’t let the enormity of the task stop her. “I think sometimes we don’t move because things are too big, or the dream is too big,” she acknowledges. “But sometimes we just have to start one day at a time.”
The first step was securing a physical space. Once the doors opened, word spread quickly. From a pregnant woman from Nepal seeking advice on healthcare to a man from Afghanistan needing help with legal issues, people brought a variety of needs. Gabriela didn’t always know how to help, but she knew people who could. “I called my sister, who’s a nurse, or my lawyer friends,” she recalls. Little by little, she began connecting people—migrants to professionals, refugees to resources—and that’s how the Lisbon Project grew.
Behind the Lisbon Project’s success is not only Gabriela’s determination but also the support of a wider community. In addition to individual donors and companies, the Lisbon Project engages with universities, sports clubs, and other organizations. The idea is to get as many people involved as possible, working toward the common goal of building a community where everyone wins.
Walking through the Lisbon Project’s building, it’s clear that everything revolves around people. “These are just some pictures of our story,” Gabriela says, gesturing to a wall covered in photographs. “Everything we do here is about people. It’s not about numbers or statistics. It’s about these faces, these lives.”
One of the core components of the Lisbon Project is its Community Life program, which focuses on relationship-building and celebrating diversity. “At Lisbon Project, we say that we don’t tolerate diversity—we celebrate it,” Gabriela explains. The program organizes social activities like dinners, beach trips, and cultural celebrations, creating opportunities for migrants and refugees to connect, have fun, and integrate into Portuguese society.
There are also specialized programs for different groups—kids, teenagers, and women—and more practical support services like employability workshops, language courses, and Homework Club. “We know bureaucracy is tough in Portugal,” Gabriela acknowledges, so the Lisbon Project offers assistance with navigating legal and administrative processes, helping people gain the information they need to succeed. “Knowledge is power,” she says, and the Lisbon Project empowers people with the tools and resources to thrive.
A pastor and a leader: faith at the core of her mission
Outside of her work at the Lisbon Project, Gabriela also serves as a pastor at Riverside Lisbon, an international, non-denominational church that she leads alongside her husband. The church meets in the same building as the Lisbon Project, and the partnership allows both organizations to share resources. “The church helps us with the space, and we partner together,” Gabriela explains.
When asked what a pastor’s role is, Gabriela provides a thoughtful answer: “A pastor reminds people of who they are and reminds people of grace and truth and purpose.” For her, being a pastor means guiding people in their journey to discover why they’re here. “Mark Twain says that there are two important days in your life: the day you’re born and the day you find out why,” she says. “I’m really committed to walking with people and understanding why we’re here.”
Her faith is a central part of who she is, both as a leader and as an individual. Her favorite passage from the Bible, which she has tattooed on her shoulder, is from Jeremiah 29:11: “If you seek me, you shall find me.” For Gabriela, this promise means that anyone who seeks God with all their heart will find Him. It’s a message of hope that she carries with her in both her pastoral work and her leadership at the Lisbon Project.
Weekly dinners and community spirit
Gabriela Faria’s leadership at the Lisbon Project is built on a foundation of love and community, which is best exemplified through their weekly community dinners. “Our brand is love,” she says with a smile. Every Wednesday evening from 7 to 8 p.m., the doors of the Lisbon Project open wide for anyone—volunteers, interns, staff, community members, or partners—to come and share a free meal.
The Lisbon Project’s current location, a bright, colorful space full of energy, has its own story of resilience. “This was just a warehouse,” Gabriela recalls. When they first moved in, funds were tight, so the team worked with what they had, bringing in mismatched furniture and donated items to make the space functional.
But then, in late 2022, disaster struck. Floods swept through Lisbon, including the Lisbon Project’s building. “We lost everything,” Gabriela remembers. But out of this hardship came an unexpected blessing. Donations poured in, allowing the team to renovate the space and create the beautiful, vibrant environment that exists today.
As the evening progresses, the community dinner begins to take shape. The smells of home-cooked food waft through the air, and a sense of warmth and belonging fills the space.
When asked about how well Lisbon and Portugal as a whole support migrants, Gabriela acknowledges there’s still progress to be made. “I think there’s room to grow,” she admits.
Gabriela believes that while there are resources and intelligent people working on the issue, there needs to be better systems, more efficiency, and above all, a stronger sense of community. For Gabriela, it’s not just about throwing resources at the problem, but rather mobilizing communities to come together and align their efforts.
Portugal, like many countries, faces tensions regarding migration. Gabriela is quick to point out that migration isn’t inherently good or bad—it’s simply part of the human experience. “We’ve always migrated. We’re always going to migrate,” she says, urging people to stop treating migration as a scapegoat for problems in healthcare, education, or housing. Instead, she advocates for addressing the actual issues rather than using immigration as a blanket explanation.
Politics: a possibility for the future?
When asked whether she’d ever consider a career in politics, Gabriela doesn’t dismiss the idea outright. “Maybe, if it makes a difference. If I feel like I can make a difference, then yeah.” The interviewer praises her articulate answers, suggesting she’d make a great politician. However, Gabriela is hesitant, as she dislikes viewing issues as black and white. For her, meaningful progress requires open, honest conversations, not just winning debates. “I don’t want to win an argument. I want to have a conversation,” she says.
Pressed for what her campaign slogan would be, Gabriela shares a phrase commonly used at the Lisbon Project: “Integration starts with belonging.” She also draws inspiration from Nelson Mandela’s famous quote: “It only seems impossible until it’s done.”
One of the toughest cases Gabriela encountered involved a mother from Ghana fleeing female genital mutilation (FGM) with her daughter. After arriving in Portugal, the woman went into labor at the airport and was rushed to a hospital. Tragically, because of a misunderstanding regarding her documents, her newborn child and three-year-old daughter were taken from her by authorities. This mother had fled to Portugal seeking safety, but was faced with unimaginable separation instead.
Gabriela, deeply moved by the situation, especially since she had just given birth herself, worked tirelessly alongside lawyers and supporters for three months to reunite the mother with her children. “It was a story that really moved me and changed me in some ways,” she reflects, emphasizing the profound impact such experiences have on her work.
A call to empathy
When asked why she continues to do this challenging work, Gabriela’s answer is clear: “I want to mobilize people to empathy.” She believes in helping people see that they are part of something bigger than themselves, encouraging them to live with purpose and compassion. Her mission is not just about providing support but about transforming how people view their role in the world.
As the conversation wraps up, Gabriela leaves us with a simple yet heartfelt message: “Live life with a purpose. Understand why you’re on earth and live it.” Her words, like her work, are a call to action—a reminder that each person has the power to make a difference in the lives of others.
The Lisbon Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a community that integrates and empowers migrants and refugees.
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