Maria Cristina Sousa

I was born in Lisbon in 1980 and I spent my childhood between Lisbon and a small town in Alentejo, where I have my roots and where the real interconnection with my inner self through memories and nature is settled.

In 1998, I started to study forest engineering at ISA. It took hard work but there, I discovered the amazing world of trees. In Sweden on an Erasmus program, I lived an important turnover point in my life that I dearly care with pride. From here, I started working as an engineer with forest producers, consulting businesses, and NGOs. Through these times, I discovered that working for a cause was what really moved me and made me happy. The opportunity to be creative, gather people together, join forces, and design projects with communities are what I really enjoy. So, in a leap of faith and hope for a changing world, I joined Zero Waste Lab. Here, I found a new family that moves me not only professionally but also in a shared idea of a sustainable world.

In 2011, I became a mother and I felt my eyes open for the first time again. Today, I'm a mother of two and the time I dedicate to them is very important and inspiring to me. With them, I learned that I must pursue my dreams and build a life of joy and love. That's the balance that I'm trying to find on a daily basis.