Quinta Essência

“To be different is to be normal” is the philosophy at Quinta Essência, a special world for people with learning difficulties where teaching is based on the emotions.

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When Vera arrived at Quinta Essência (Qe) she had never handled a knife. Today, she is a master chef. Diogo is an ex-resident who now works with a gardening firm and João Pedro, the oldest resident, has learned to communicate again and smile. It is such people, along with the other resident saints, who perform little everyday miracles in this privately-funded social welfare institution.

The project’s PR officer, Maria de Fátima Almeida, does the introductions: “Qe was opened in 2006 by eight activists who set up a teaching and residential centre – in a private 15,000 square-metre complex at Abrunheira, Sintra – for the rehabilitation of people over 16 with developmental difficulties”. This was because after the age of 16 there is no state provision for monitoring kids with such difficulties. “We work to try and help our students achieve their potential, gain a sense of worth and autonomy, with an eye to integrating them into society, both socially and professionally. We are guided by three core values: people with deficiencies are seen as unique human beings; the techniques used are a means to support their development; and teaching and learning evaluation methods are geared towards efficiency and objectivity, with the emphasis on feelings and emotions.”

Currently, there are around 40 young people and adults at Qe, some on a permanent basis, others just attending classes. All are enrolled in a “life simulator” which gives them tools to help them deal as far as possible with the world beyond the institution. To achieve this Herculean task, Qe’s multidisciplinary team offer four programmes which progressively boost the students’ four key levels of autonomy: the personal, the social, the pre-professional and the professional. The programmes are complemented by various workshops which help to kick-start their interactive skills, creativity, motor skills and sense of responsibility. “We have lessons in the art, photography, computing, gymnastics, dance and drama”. Then there is the vegetable garden, the kitchen, the stockroom and the kennels, to train them for real in potential jobs such as stock maintenance, gardening, animal care and kitchen assistant. This work experience will be put into practice later in real-life situations, in partner organisations who take on students for placements and employment.

“Here nothing is fixed, there are no classrooms or fixed groups and the activities are adapted to students’ preferences and competencies”, explains Maria de Fátima.

For all this to work, however, there needs to be a basic driving force, which at Qe is called Gentle Teaching, or Affective Pedagogy. “The Gentle Teaching method is a philosophy which asserts that everything begins with the relationship and everything is centred around on it.” So, in the first place the person must feel safe and loved to be prepared to receive inputs and learn more and learn better.

Apart from the resident students who live permanently in Qe’s two houses and the external students who attend the school from Monday and Friday, the organisation also receives temporary and occasional residents at weekends and on summer camps.

Rua Humberto Delgado, 52, Abrunheira
+351 21 915 4740
www.quintaessencia.pt

Little by little…

Find out how you can contribute to this project. Sponsoring is one way, by paying a less advantaged student’s monthly fee, either partially or in full. Then there is volunteering; lending a hand when you can, can make all the difference. If you would like to make a donation you can do so using NIB: 0007 0000 00766685964 23 – Banco Espírito Santo. You should send a notification to the institution with your tax number (NIF) so that a receipt can be issued for tax purposes.

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by Maria Ana Ventura

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