Via Activa
Because every story has a beginning and a character… this one would be no different.
Let us begin by introducing Sérgio. Now an adult, he has always been a dynamic child, curious about the world in which he never saw any limitations, even in his condition with cerebral palsy. He just lives with an enormous will to make the most of every day, with joy and to share his contagious energy with everyone. It was Sergio who, by participating in our programs, showed us the importance of focusing on individual meaningful experiences, and brought us to the present day. Throughout these 17 years of his life, the ability to adapt has been our biggest success factor. Since the beginning, inclusion has always been a reality in all our projects. Via Activa appeared in 2004, founded by two recent graduates in Physical Education and Sports, initially with the aim of providing sports and socio-cultural activities outside the school context. We wanted to put into practice everything we had learned and leave a positive mark on our island, Madeira, through Sports and the younger generations that would be the future.
Several challenges were set to us with different target audiences and, without exception, we accepted them. We implemented beach entertainment projects, sporting activities as a factor for social inclusion with children and young people at risk in social neighborhoods, and the summer camp Verão em Cheio in Calheta, a mega project of reference in the region!
We felt more and more that our path had to be right here.
The growth of the organization was consolidated with the experience of the team composed of Physical Education, Basic Education and Nursing professionals, plus the investment in new material resources, thus creating the conditions to replicate our intervention in multiple contexts.
In 2005, we added the regular physical activity programs aimed at the adult and elderly population, within the scope of municipal sports. These comprise physical activity sessions, walking tours and collective social gatherings with sociocultural games.
2016: Year of reorganization
From 2016, with the departure of one of the founding partners for an academic strand, Via Activa reorganized its continuity strategy framing the products and services in 3 major areas: KIDS, COOL and FIT.
While the team kept growing, Sergio has been with us throughout the years, always making us believe that everything is possible. Despite his cerebral palsy condition, his brilliant mind helped us to develop strategies for an active participation in all activities of the Full Summer and to open the way for other children and youth with some kind of limitation. This project, being the company’s largest and oldest, has acquired a special status in our organization. Not only because it taught us to include everyone, regardless of their psychomotor or socioeconomic condition, but also to expand its scope through the intergenerational dimension it reached.
With the children, the families were integrated, and, over time, some participants returned to the project, already with academic qualifications to monitor the new participants and give continuity to our shared values. Sérgio was no exception and continues, occasionally, to make his contribution.
We challenge you to discover the activities we offer:
KIDS
Summer Camps, Radical Birthdays and Sports Training
COOL
Paintball, Sports/Socio-cultural Events, Team Building
FIT
Physical and functional fitness evaluation, Awareness actions and Group Classes