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Mieke Maria, Victim of the wildfire at Vale de Bordeira '25
0% complete
€4,100 raised of €4.5K
43 donations
Help Mieke Maria to rebuild her business and to re-establish a space for bodywork and healing journeys in and with nature.
Hello, I am Mieke Maria and I want to thank you for being here and for reading me...
During the evening of 21 September 2025 a devastating wildfire swept through our valley (Vale de Bordeira), SW Algarve, Portugal. The valley burned for days to come. Several neighbors lost their homes. In close cooperation with the fire brigades, we put our hands together and collectively we've been working day and night to prevent more houses from being reduced to ashes.
At the blink of an eye, I have not only lost my massage studio but also a place to which a deeply belong, a refuge of extraordinary beauty, a place I called 'my home'.
The devastation was and is inconceivable. Eddy and Uli, the proprietors and builders of various cottages on our land lost their main house, their life's work. As such they are now relocated in my home which nearly burned to the ground as well (with flames coming up to 1m close)
Although I believe that emergency aid should go primarily to those victims who have lost their properties and belongings, today I am calling out for support. Not because I lost my propriety, but because of the catastrophic loss of my home place and consequently the sudden displacement of my belongings and my business. As a direct consequence of this tragedy, I am faced with the painful reality of a precarious financial situation: all of a sudden I have lost my primary source of income.
Over the past years, I poured all my love into renovating and upgrading my home and massage studio in Vale de Bordeira. Although the cottage was not my property, it was my beloved home, in its broadest sense. It was a place for me to live, to study and to work as it became a haven for massages and bodywork. What I was providing was a site specific concept in which the environment and architecture where just as much part of the healing journey as my hands. A paradise surrounded with oak trees and other greens, a place where many of my clients could surrender, let go and heal. It took me years of investment to establish my business here and attract a clientele who was receptive for the serenity and beauty of this magical gem.
Luckily, in 2025 the word got around and more massage lovers found their way to my cottage. My dream was finally coming true as my business started to flourish. Because of the disaster I now have to start over again.
My grief is big and financial means cannot compensate the loss I am experiencing. The support I am asking for will partially help me to reduce any further financial distress as a consequence of the lost revenue. It will help me to rebuild my business and to reestablish a new cottage for healing journeys in and with nature. It will take time and resources to find or build such a haven, but there is hope.
Or in the words of my neighbour Emma:
“We have such a big job ahead of as a community. We have to grieve. We have to heal. And then we have to replant and rebuild and make this wonderful place whole again. Because right now it's hurting bad. And the only way we can do this is together and with love.”
How you can help:
-Financial donations
-Work opportunities (bodywork/healing journeys in nature)
-Help me find an accessible wooden cottage in nature which can serve as a place for bodywork/healing journeys.
Thank you for your time and thank you for your generosity. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference. Besides donating, you can support by helping me find a peaceful refuge in nature in which I can continue my healing work. You can also help by sharing this page so it can reach more people.
Heartfelt gratitude,
Mieke Maria.
PS:
The fire left a deep scar in Vale de Bordeira. One way or another all our neighbours have been affected by the catastrophy. If you wish, you can support and/or follow up some of campaigns of my neighbours here:
Uli & Eddie:
Olivia:
Olivier, Leon and Manu
Happy buddy / Svenja:
Cleaning up fire debris Vale da Bordeira:
Jessica:
Karen:
Medronheira:
Lander, Arianna, Neo, Ayam
Colin:
Paul Rau:
Bliss & Leo
Diana Max Luna:
Anthony Boudin
João Nuno
beef
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