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About us

 

Background 

 

The Maj-Lis Philanthropic Foundation (MPF) was founded by visionary and missionary Maj-Lis Johansson, together with the church of Betania in Årjäng and some other dedicated souls, in1988, but the actual ministry really started in the 1970’s. 
 
  
MPF is a philanthropic organization that is founded and based on Christian values. Our ministry (work) is aimed at lending a helping hand to the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society, mainly in Portugal and other nations with Portuguese as their language, but also other seriously affected regions in the world. 
 
The organization works to develop and support short- and long-term programs, focusing on four different groups – children, women, adults and critical situations.

Vision 

Our vision is to improve the world we live in through giving hope, inspiration and improving the living conditions for those who are most in need.

Mission

Our mission aims at reaching lasting changes through short- and long-term programs within our four areas of focus: 
  • Children – through orphanages, schools, education, camps for orphans and others in need. 
  • Women – poor single mothers, prostitutes, abused. 
  • Adults – alcoholics, drug addicts, elderly, lonely and homeless. 
  • Crisis situations– for example flooding, earth quakes, volcano eruptions, hurricanes or fires in Portugal as well as other countries.

The way we work

The MPF organization is entirely idealistically based without any profit motive. The volunteers work without salary. Those who send clothes have themselves paid for the expenses all the way to MPF’s door. For all the financial contributions that are given to us we try to use them in the best way. In collaboration with other organizations, together we reach the most vulnerable in our society.
 

A helping hand with Christian values

From a Christian stand – where everyone is equal - we want to be here for the one who seeks a helping hand. The goal we formulated back in 1975 was to give anyone the chance of a meaningful life. 
 

We give the children hope for the future

With tough living conditions in a broken environment it is easy to end up in a destructive life style that is hard to escape.
 
That is why we work hard to offer children something else to what they are used to. On our camps the children start to see that going to school could give them the chance to one day get out of the slums and they realize that there is something other than the violence, drugs and mistrust that control our society. 
 
Many say today that our camps were the best thing that happened to them. We want to give as many as possible the same experience and need more funding for this work.
 

Our Partners and Co-workers

Immense help comes from Sweden
 
We have received tons of relief shipments from all over Sweden throughout the years. Common to them all is a big heart and a strong, heartfelt involvement, for example, Ulla Brask, Gunnel and  Roland Sjöholm and Gun-Brith Nilsson. Also included here are the sewing groups in Årjäng and Bredäng and the Foundation of Eric Edin, Erikshjälpen, PMU Vårgårda and Hoppets Stjärna.  
 
International help
 
Among our international partners is Siloam Christian Ministries (www.siloam.org.uk) through Richard Norton. This is a mission that has supported us for many years with anything from wheel chairs and clothes to toys and literature. They have also helped us with Christmas Outreach.
 
Through the Pentecostal church in Antwerpen, Belgium, we are blessed with Fabien and Christine Vanquaillie. Fabien is an ex-drug addict and he was the first to come and deliver a container. He still contributes with food-products, clothes, furniture, computers and much more. 
 
Foster homes for children
 
Gina & Richard and Johanna & Tony are good examples of families in Portugal who for a time take care of children from difficult circumstances. When the children’s family situation improves they can return to their initial family situation. 
 
Summer camps for children
 
Paula and Rolf Graf, Administração Adonia Portugal, have an extensive youth ministry and they organize weeks of concerts and camps, teaching song and music. 
 
União Biblica Portugal, The Bible Society, organizes camps in different areas for various age groups. The cost to participate for a week varies between 60 – 90 Euros (in 2011). 
 
In Bulgaria, the artist couple Penka and Hari Atanasov are running camps and also a church. They reach children from different social communities and in various areas and see good results from their extensive work.  
 
The social department of the Pentecostal church in Portugal
 
Children’s homes: Lar Betania has orphanage for girls and another for boys, which are in great need of financial support due to the fact that every new child costs money and the orphanages do not receive any government grants. Right now they have openings but nobody that can pay for them. 
 
Nursing homes: For impoverished elderly people who do not have anywhere else to go, the Pentecostal church in Lisbon runs assisted retirement homes. There are openings at these facilities but not enough funding to support them. 
 
ACRAS (Associação Cristã de Reinserção e Apoio Social) work to integrate marginalized and homeless, dysfunctional families and single mothers. Drug addicts and alcoholics are sent to drug rehabilitation centre, Desafio Jovem. 
 
Rehabilitation for drug addicts
 
Desafio Jovem received help from Maj-Lis to get started. The first beds and equipment came in containers that later were converted to a home for the supervisor and the first interviews were done in the garden of Maj-Lis and Eskil. Today they have several drug rehabilitation homes in Portugal. 
 
Cruz Azul/Blue Cross also received help in the beginning from Maj-Lis as they established their first rehabilitation center in Azambuja in Portugal. Today they provide preventative education on alcohol addiction.  
 
Associação Remar works with drug addicts and their children. The rehabilitation homes work by providing training in different trades and we cooperate with them both for children and addicts. 
 
Homes for disabled youth
 
Lar da Boa Vontade is a home for youths with disabilities and it is located nearby the Foundation’s office and warehouse. We contribute beds, wheel chairs and other necessary items as well as visits. 
 
Mission work in Africa 
 
Mozambique. At the moment, we are partnering Chris and Carnica Hernborough, who run Project Mozambique. They support schools and churches with evangelists who travel by bike. 
Guinea-Bissau We support, through Orei and Isabel Quernol, Mevic (Missão Evangélica Intercultural), which works with both schools and churches.
 
Other remaining supporters
 
We also want to mention the International School in Cascais (www.icsc.pt), St Julian’s school in Carcavelos (www.stjulians.com) and the Swedish embassy in Lisbon (www.swedenabroad.com). Last but not least a big thanks to all our dear friends and neighbors in Carcavelos!
 
 
Volunteers. Hundreds of volunteers have helped us in Portugal and Sweden and other countries through the years.

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