Following Storm Kristin, a landslide swept away approximately 16 meters of the road and destroyed the house where our parents lived for over 50 years. This campaign aims to build a new, safe, and dignified home, restoring their peace of mind and respect.
We are children. Children who grew up in a simple house, but full of life, built with effort, work and love over decades. It was in that house, in Covas da Cumieira, that our parents raised us, passed on values to us, gave us security and always did everything in their power to prepare us for life. It was there that we grew as a family. It was also in the house next door that our father was born and where one of our sisters was preparing to begin a new stage of her life, close to her roots.
In February 2026, Storm Kristin destroyed all of that. The intense rains caused a landslide that collapsed the road and swept away our parents' house about 13 meters, leaving it structurally unstable and beyond repair. In a few moments, what had taken a lifetime to build was reduced to ruins. They also lost the 2 hectares of land where they had animals and vegetable gardens—everything was lost forever.
Seeing our parents lose the house where they lived for over 50 years was profoundly devastating. They didn't just lose walls and a roof. They lost their place in the world, the autonomy they had gained through years of work, and the peace of mind they had when they believed they could grow old in peace. Today they are homeless, living in the home of one of their children, with their belongings and animals scattered among the homes of supportive neighbors, without knowing if they will ever again have a place they can truly call home.
Our parents always worked, always helped those in need, and never asked anything of anyone. Today, in their old age and without any insurance to cover this tragedy, they face a harsh and profoundly unjust reality. As their children, we do everything in our power to support them—but we cannot do it alone.
This campaign is our plea for help. We want to build a new house, simple, safe and adapted to their age, in a stable location, where our parents can once again feel dignity, security and peace. A home where they can live out the remaining years of their lives in comfort, autonomy and without fear.
Helping this cause ensures that no one who has worked their entire life is left homeless when they need it most. Every contribution is a gesture of humanity that transforms an immense loss into a possible new beginning.
A estrada ficou intransitável
É impossível recuperar este nível de estragos
About the author
This campaign is promoted by the five children of Jorge Mota (73 years old) and Maria de Lurdes David (72 years old). The initiative stems from a real and urgent need and is driven exclusively by our desire to guarantee our parents a dignified, safe, and stable home, after they lost everything they built throughout their lives. We are committed to managing all donations with complete transparency and responsibility, providing regular public accounts of the use of funds and the progress of the project. In this regard, the account where the collected funds will be deposited is our father's account.
Budget and due dates
The implementation of this project is planned in successive phases, allowing each stage to be financed and executed in a responsible, transparent manner, tailored to the couple's reality and the conditions of the territory.
The first phase involves acquiring a safe and suitable plot of land in a stable location, outside of risk zones, ensuring that the new house will not be exposed to phenomena similar to those that destroyed the previous one. This phase also includes expenses associated with registrations, deeds, and legal fees. The estimated investment for this stage is €40,000. This is an essential condition to ensure a truly safe new beginning.
The second phase is dedicated to developing the housing project, involving architecture, technical specialties, and adaptation to the specific needs of our parents' age. The goal is to create a simple, functional, accessible, and energy-efficient home, designed for aging with dignity and autonomy. This phase also includes licensing and administrative fees, representing an estimated investment of €10,000.
The third phase, and the most significant in financial terms, corresponds to the construction of the house. This stage includes land preparation, foundations, structure, roofing, water, electricity and sanitation networks, as well as essential interior and exterior finishes. The house will be built with safety, comfort and durability criteria, guaranteeing adequate living conditions. The estimated cost of this phase is €100,000.
In total, the project represents a global investment of €150,000, distributed in a phased and transparent manner, allowing each contribution to help take a concrete step towards the ultimate goal: giving our parents a home again.
Provisional scheduling
- Months 1–2: Land acquisition and legal formalization.
- Months 3–4: Project development and licensing processes
- Months 5–10: Construction of the dwelling
- Month 11: Final touches and handover of the house.
This timeline may be adjusted depending on the pace of fundraising, but each completed phase will always be publicly communicated, reinforcing our commitment to transparency.
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