Lisinayte’s story
When Lisinayte first walked the streets of Wrexham, far from the equatorial islands of her birth, she didn’t expect to feel so at home. But when she heard her native Portuguese spoken around her it was a moment of deep connection. “It was incredible, I felt included. Comfortable. Like I belonged.”
She was born and raised in São Tomé and Príncipe, a lush, vibrant island nation in Central Africa. “It’s paradise, Rainforests, coconut trees, green and blue seas. But more than that, it’s the people. We shared everything, food, responsibilities, childcare. Neighbours were like family. If your parents weren’t home, someone else would step in. There was solidarity.”
That sense of togetherness followed her as she moved to Portugal at 20 to pursue a degree in social work. With her mother already settled there for medical reasons, she found opportunities, but also challenges. After completing her studies and a placement with the local authority, she struggled to find work due to Portugal’s high unemployment rate. “It was hard and that’s when I started thinking seriously about Wrexham.”
She had visited often, drawn by family, her aunt had been living there for nearly two decades, and the calm, welcoming atmosphere. “It’s quiet here, and people are open. Plus, it gave me a chance to learn a new language.” When she arrived, her English was minimal. “At school I learned French, not English. So, everything here was new but I was excited to grow.”
What she didn’t expect was the serendipity of running into so many people from her past, friends from her island, now neighbours in a small town in North Wales. “It felt like fate. It brought that feeling of home back to me.”
Yet she knew this connection needed nurturing. As she saw more and more Portuguese-speaking Africans, people from Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and her own island settling in Wrexham, she felt called to act. “I thought, we need to come together. We need a space to share our culture, our stories, our food, and especially to pass all of this down to our children.”
So she helped found PALOPS United, a community interest company for African Portuguese-speaking nations. “We created it to celebrate our cultural traditions, preserve our languages, and bring people together. We didn’t want our kids to lose that connection with their roots. We organise events, dance performances, and storytelling activities, and invite everyone, locals, newcomers, young, old. Everyone is welcome.”
Her vision for PALOPS is about inclusion, not just within their own community, but with the wider Welsh population too. “We work closely with the Wrexham Multicultural Hub, with Tŷ Pawb, and lots of other organisations. We always share our flyers far and wide. We tell our Welsh neighbours, our local care home staff, come along, try our food, hear our music, dance with us. It’s about building bridges.”
And at the heart of this work is a powerful belief in the importance of a seat at the table. For her, representation isn’t optional, it’s essential. “It’s so important that we’re at the table. In meetings. In discussions. At planning sessions. If we’re not there, our concerns are not heard. When we are there, we can talk freely about what we need, what’s missing, and how to improve things for everyone.”
Her passion for creating change is deeply tied to her career in social work, the path she chose back in Portugal because of her strong desire to help others. “I just want to bring smiles to people’s faces, to make a difference in someone’s life, even in a small way, that’s what drives me.”
Through her role, she helps connect individuals to resources, listens to their stories, and provides support. “Sometimes people feel isolated. Like they’re not seen or heard. Social work gives me the chance to say, you matter. You belong.”
She extends that spirit into her dance group, born out of spontaneous joy at community events. “We used to just start dancing, with no choreography, just feeling the rhythm together. But then I thought, let’s formalise this. Let’s create a space for young people and women to connect, move, and talk.” The group became a haven, offering expression, mentorship, and a safe place to discuss the challenges they face.
For Lisinayte, dance is healing. “It’s in our blood, and when we dance together, we’re not just celebrating—we’re communicating. We’re telling our stories. Even though we’re far from home, we keep the traditions alive. We cook, we dress up, we sing and we invite everyone in Wrexham to join us.”
Community is about openness sharing what you have and learning from others. And belonging isn’t just a feeling—it’s a commitment. “We live here. We work here. Our children go to school here. This is our home too, and it feels like home, especially because of the support we’ve received.”
That support includes little things that matter deeply, like the African shop in Wrexham where she could buy the ingredients that connected her to her childhood, despite it now being closed, or the Welsh language classes she and others are encouraged to attend. “We want to embrace the culture here. We want to learn, and we want to be included. When we learn a bit of Welsh and share a bit of Creole, we’re building something new, together.”
“I feel Welsh, I’m from São Tomé. But I’ve lived here for a long time. I’ve embraced my Welsh friends, and they’ve embraced me. I cook for them; they introduce me to Welsh cakes and English breakfast. It’s a beautiful exchange.”
And perhaps that’s the heart of her story: not a single identity, but a shared one. A story where language, dance, and tradition cross oceans and borders, but always return to community. A life where belonging is built, not given, and where a seat at the table means being seen, being heard, and making space for others to join.
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