Come as a guest, Stay as a Friend.

Mr. President
Nuno Varajão Barbosa

In his book “Mensagem”, in a poem entitled “O Infante”, the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa begins by saying “God wills, man dreams, the work is born”. On May 14th, 2012, God wanted me to be the founder of Mobility Friends, in the city of Barcelos, home of the Rooster, the symbol of Barcelos and Portugal. So the man, who was chosen to do this, dreamed. He dreamed that Mobility Friends would be an international reference organization in the promotion and implementation of International Mobility Programmes, that Mobility Friends would be the largest host organization in Portugal, that Mobility Friends would have its accommodation, that Mobility Friends would be a Training Centre, and that Mobility Friends would train and educate young people and adults in human values and active citizenship in society, preparing them for the challenges of the future and contributing to their economic and social growth and development. And the work was born. It was born, because over 11 years, the choice to professionalize human resources, the quality of internships, job shadowing, training courses, cultural visits, transfers, and the permanent availability of Mobility Friends’ enterprising staff to provide a good stay for our friends, always accompanied by a smile, have been fundamental in welcoming more than 28,000 friends, making Mobility Friends an international reference in the Erasmus+ Programme. The Mobility Friends Campus, located in the city of Barcelos, with a capacity for around 150 beds, is a must for enjoying Erasmus mobility in a unique intercultural and multicultural environment. The novel Collector’s Home, located in the historic city center of Braga, is another Mobility Friends dream come true, allowing us to increase our capacity to welcome more friends. Over the 11 years, the cities of Barcelos, Braga and Póvoa de Varzim have become insufficient for the continuous requests of our Friends, so we have broadened our horizons by organizing mobilities in the following cities: Porto, Lisbon, Aveiro, Coimbra, Leiria, Portimão, Funchal – Madeira Island, Ponta Delgada – São Miguel Island – Azores, in Portugal, Vigo in Spain, Radom, Wroclaw and Minsk Mazowieski, in Poland and Varna in Bulgaria. We would like to thank all the local partners, sending organizations, and all the 28,000 participants for choosing Mobility Friends, because, with everyone’s participation, the dream has become a reality. Knowing that the Erasmus Program is for young people and adults, it is one of the most excellent flagships of the European Union, we want to increase the number of participants, partnerships, and projects that continue to contribute to building an Erasmus Generation, with a better future, through education and training, providing new opportunities for new participants, especially those with little experience in the field. Welcome to Mobility Friends and make your dreams come true. Come as a guest to enjoy Portugal, and stay as a friend.