The Regional Government of the Azores, through the Regional Directorate for Communities” in a partnership with Azores Express and SATA Express will promote the eight edition of the programme “Missing the Azores” from November 6 to 13.
The programme aims to provide citizens over 60 who were born in the Autonomous Region of the Azores currently living in the USA, Canada, Bermudas or Brazil, who have not visited the archipelago for more than two decades due to economic difficulties with the opportunity to visit their homeland as well as to contact with family and friends.
This year the initiative will bring together 20 participants from the United States, Canada and Brazil.
This programme also counts on the collaboration of various social support institutions in the United States, such as the Abrigo Centre in Toronto, the Mission Sainte-Croix in Montreal, the Ser- Jobs for Progress in Fall River, the Immigrants Assistance Centre in New Bedford and the community centres POSSO and VALER in California. Moreover, the initiative has also counted on the collaboration of the House of the Azores of São Paulo.
During their stay in the Azores, the group will be accompanied by technical staff of the Regional Directorate for Communities in a recreational and cultural programme, which includes visits to various places of tourist and cultural interest of each municipality, such as the village of Furnas, Lagoa do Fogo Crater Lake, the pottery museum in Vila Franca do Campo, including the participation in traditional games as well as in the Festival “The World Here” to take place in Ponta Delgada.
This initiative also counts on the support of the Regional Secretariat for the Economy, the Regional Secretariat for Science, Technology and Infrastructures, the Regional Directorate for Tourism, AIPA, the Vila Franca do Campo Pottery Museum, the Ribeira Emigration Museum, the Nossa Senhora da Esperança Shrine and Cresaçor.