80% of refugees relocated to Lithuania leave soon after they arrive, while 46% of Lithuanians “completely disagree” with letting asylum seekers into their country.
To tackle all of these issues and promote cooperation between refugees and locals, a 1-year project “Capoeira Connects Community” has been initiated.
Capoeira is an afro-Brazilian martial art that incorporates game, music and dance, brings members of a community closer. It provides a safe and healthy way to release anger and frustration. The main idea of the project is to create a sustainable programme, to help refugees to integrate through sports & lower existing fears of the locals and phobias towards refugees.

OBJECTIVES
- Systemise good practices of refugee integration through sports;
- Implementation of inclusive capoeira workshops for refugees and locals, to encourage refugees, especially women, to keep practising sports;
- Facilitate the creation of new initiatives to help refugee integration through sports in Lithuania and beyond;
- Train sports and youth workers to work with refugees and connect them for an effective refugees involvement in sports;
- Promote cooperation between local youth and refugees.