The "Love Remains" project was featured on RTP's Praça da Alegria programme on August 18th, bringing to the general public an initiative that promotes combating loneliness, active ageing and valuing the life stories of older people. Representing the project were three participants from the pilot project implemented at the ERPI of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Seia: D. Lurdes, D. Silvina and D. Lucília, accompanied by Provedor Paulo Caetano, Ana Figueiras and "Lover" Marta Lopes, responsible for running the workshops.
The central moment of the participation was the making of the "Cake of Friends", a very special recipe that was born in one of the project's workshops. Around a round table, the challenge arose to imagine a cake built from the life stories of those who created it. Each ingredient was chosen not only for its flavour, but for the meaning it carried: the eggs represented the beginning of everything, the coffee and coconut held memories of the family's old grocery store, the flour gave structure like the values that sustain a life, and the honey was chosen because, when love is true, it remains sweet and stays.
The project's presence on RTP constituted an important moment for spreading its mission, showing that ageing can be experienced with dignity, creativity and active participation. Through small experiences of encounter and listening, the project demonstrates that human relationships are one of the most powerful tools for promoting well-being and quality of life. At the end of the workshop that gave rise to the cake, someone summed up what everyone felt: "This cake hasn't been eaten yet... but it can already be felt."
The project was created by the brand "With Love Ana Figueiras" and uses cake making and sharing family recipes as a tool for inclusion, combating social isolation and valuing collective memory. The initiative also promotes intergenerational encounters, involving young people and children in the process, creating bridges of empathy, respect and transmission of traditional knowledge.
