The MAAT Garden – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology will host three repair sessions through the end of 2026, in an initiative promoted by Zero Waste Lab and ADM Estrela, through the Porta 11 project. The first will take place on September 26, followed by two more on November 7 and December 12, always between 10:00 and 13:00, according to a press release.
According to the same source, the sessions, free of charge, are intended for both those who have equipment to repair and those who want to learn more about repair and reuse. The initiative arises within the framework of a new partnership between the two entities and aims to contribute to increasing the repair offering in Lisbon, training new repairers, and giving greater visibility to the work carried out by Porta 11.
Created in 2021, Porta 11 carries out work in the areas of social inclusion, youth empowerment, and environmental sustainability, through repair, reuse, and circulation of electrical and electronic equipment. The project combines practical training in computer science and electronics with mentoring of personal and professional skills, internships, and community-oriented initiatives.
It is in this context that Repair Cafés emerge as spaces for learning and sharing knowledge around repair. For Sara Morais Pinto, from the Directorate of Zero Waste Lab, “repair is one of the simplest and most powerful acts to reduce waste.”
“Partnering with Porta 11 allows us to bring that message to the community while supporting a project with a very concrete social impact,” she adds.
Rita Saraiva, coordinator of ADM Estrela in Lisbon and responsible for Porta 11, also believes that the partnership can reinforce the work carried out by the project, by enabling “the environmental and community dimension” to be strengthened and by expanding its impact. The official also highlights the potential of the collaboration to bring Porta 11 closer to new partners and to strengthen collection and reuse networks.
In addition to repairing equipment, the initiative seeks to promote the acquisition of technical and personal skills by the young people involved in Porta 11 and to raise awareness in the community about consumption patterns that favor repair and reuse over replacement of equipment.
Participation in the sessions is free, but requires registration.
