Dear friends and supporters

First I and my colleagues wishes you and your family a prosperous 2020, may this year bring everything you dream of.

Now to deal with the past and the future!

For me and everyone else that is part of the day-to-day team at ASMAA, our work is very personal, that’s why we volunteer not only our time, but often even our resources day in and day out. We had many challenges thrown at us during 2019, some in our environmental causes, some in our social ones and some very personal ones. But we also had some very great successes.

We finally succeeded in getting the last 3 offshore oil exploration contracts to be a thing of the past – ASMAA stopped the drilling as a result of our court action and YOU helped achieve it. We assisted many families in need, and many homeless in the West Algarve area. We assisted a number of elderly people that were in some terrible situations to get their lives back, and we also provided the “Bombeiros” during the fire in Aljezur with water and food. This is just a small example of what we achieved with your support in 2019. There’s much more that we did.

It was also the year that in spite of all the challenges, all the ups and downs, neither I nor any of my colleagues felt alone, not even for one minute.

Being part of the ASMAA family, I as well as so many others, strongly benefited from ASMAA’s support network when we most needed it. We are all grateful for having this support network, and YOU are an integral part of it. It was people just like YOU that gave us hope and the continuous inspiration to carry on.

2019, was also the year that reinforced our conviction that we at ASMAA need to get back to grassroots and dedicate 2020 once again to assist in rebuilding resilience in the communities across the Algarve.

Why? Because WE know that out of the over 400,000 people that live in the Algarve and the thousands more that visit each year, there’s a need for such a program.

Together, we can bring much-needed support into our communities. Communities that are facing the financial and health ills resulting from an economic crisis that has seen high unemployment, increased poverty, isolation and even social and economic despair in many cases. We need to rebuild our community’s resilience in 2020.

And with YOUR help WE WILL!

As we enter 2020, we ask that you make a donation, so that we can use your donation (your gift to our community) to enable us in 2020 to:

Launch an empowerment project “The ASMAA Arts and Craft Market” in Lagos (every Saturday) to assist at least 41 artists, artisans and craftspersons to run sustainable micro businesses. 
Launch the “InContact” program – a project to assist in reducing loneliness and social isolation, a reality that is affecting thousands across the Algarve.
Reduce the massive Anti-Oil debt that we carried into 2020 which includes outstanding legal costs that has to be paid. While continuing to be vigilant so that we are not taken by surprise when they (government and oil companies) launch a new attack on our region. Which they will do. Its just a question of time.
To assist in carrying some of the infrastructure costs of our resilience building programs, our anti-poverty drives and the homeless support program that we have been involved in for many years.
And so much more that we have in the environmental pipeline …
As YOU can see, we already have a very full 2020 agenda.

We know that when you think of ASMAA, many of you think we are just an environmental group fighting the threat of oil and gas exploration onshore and offshore. But we are much more than that. In fact our main focus since our beginning days in 2012, has always been the economic sustainability and stability of local communities by dealing with any local threats that can, or would directly or indirectly affect it.

Our primary focus is human economic self-sustainability and stability, we focus on enhancing human resilience, when people are directly affected, they themselves will see that their surrounding ecosystems are well looked after and preserved for future generations as well as for themselves, but to do that they need access to true and factual information and support networks.

We NOW INVITE YOU TO BE a part of the HOPE we can bring together in 2020 - please give generously to ASMAA today! Gift 25€, 50€ or 100€!

It takes just 30 seconds to donate.

Donate directly via PayPal (including credit card payments) using email info@asmaa-algarve.org
or directly to Paypal via our website: http://asmaa-algarve.org/en/donate

Or via Bank Transfer (EFT)
BANK: SANTANDER TOTTA
ASMAA Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association
IBAN: PT50 0018 0008 02686698020 51

REF: ASMAA (If we can apply your donation to running costs)
REF: SOCIAL (If we can apply your donation to any of our social projects)
REF: ENVIRONMENT (If we can apply your donation to any environmental project)
REF: LEGAL (if its to assist in reducing our legal debt – aka arrears)
REF: OIL & GAS (if its to assist in reducing our campaign debt – aka arrears)

One person, one gift can make an incredible difference. Together, we will continue to do what we are good at – continue with actions to protect You, Your Family and Our Environment. 

But if you donate 100€, 150€ or 200€ YOU can have YOUR name, YOUR Family Name or Your Business Name (or even be anonymous – you’ll just be identified by your reference number) with a message of hope (or any other message) in a brass plate positioned in one of a limited number of shelves in our new charity shop that is opening in Lagos. (You can read more about it here … http://asmaa-algarve.org/en/incontact/engrave-your-name-in-asmaa-s-future-history-and-place-it-in-asmaa-s-christmas-stocking

Donate today and help us REACH OUT to more and more people in need of support, and to have the resources to keep on protecting our environment, you and your assets, and even your way of life.

Donate directly via PayPal (including credit card payments) using email info@asmaa-algarve.org

Will you help us create a happier and healthier future for all in 2020?

Thank you and once again wishes of a great 2020.

Laurinda, Jean-Jacques, Joe, Bernadette, Alison, René, Colin, Leon, Sabine, Roger and Gary.

ASMAA (NGO nº: NIPC 510381952)
+351 282 182 103
info@asmaa-algarve.org