About Us

«What specific point in the sky allows us to say that we have crossed a border?»

Michel Onfray

Hirundo: scientific name for swallow, a migratory bird that at nonprofit Hirundo symbolizes travel, stories and a world without borders.

We create narratives that bring cultures together. Using artistic languages and training programs, Hirundo promotes creativity and critical thinking to transform problems into opportunities that stimulate growth and learning.

We envision a society where stories overlap borders and reveal the faces behind the numbers. We are dedicated to promoting civic engagement and informed participation, ensuring that complex problems find concrete solutions. We aim to be pragmatic while retaining our capacity to dream of a diverse world that embraces and celebrates this diversity.

Meet Our Team

Fausta Pereira

Co-Founder and Managing Director

FAUSTA has 24 years of experience as a project manager, specializing in education, international development, and corporate social responsibility. As a National Geographic Society Explorer and former head of Social Responsibility at the Portugal Telecom Foundation, Fausta has made significant contributions to social impact initiatives. She is also the founder of the educative project ‘Filmes do Recreio.’
Fausta has been awarded for her work in Portugal, Spain, Chile, and Italy.

Diana Piquer

Vice – President

DIANA has been teaching Spanish and Portuguese as foreign languages since 2013. Currently, she is a researcher specializing in heritage language acquisition in migratory contexts. Diana holds a degree in Languages, Literatures, and Cultures in Portuguese and Spanish, as well as a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics. With an artistic background, she also studied Stage Design at the Cinema and Theater Superior School and has worked on projects related to art and the community.

Paula Fernandes

Volunteer Coordinator

PAULA has been working in humanitarian aid project management since 1999. She has worked at Doctors Without Borders and Doctors of the World managing projects in countries such as Zimbabwe, Greece, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Bangladesh, Mozambique and Yemen. Has experience in project cycle management and team leadership.

Rosa Amaral

Pedagogy Advisor

ROSA has been a secondary school teacher since 1989, specializing in Portuguese and French. She holds a Master’s degree in Education with a focus on Pedagogical Supervision in Teaching Portuguese from the University of Minho, as well as a degree in Teaching Portuguese and French from the University of Aveiro.

Paulo Kellerman

Arts and Literature Advisor

PAULO is an accomplished short story writer and columnist since 1996. He is the author of seven plays, two operas, a short film and has published twenty-one books. He conceived and promoted projects with writers, actors, musicians, photographers, sculptors, directors, architects, illustrators and painters. He is responsible for Fotografar Palavras, an international project that has brought together over 300 creators (photographers and writers), from 32 countries since its inception in 2016. Paulo is also a co-founder of the publishing house Minimalista.