Due to the massive emigration of people to urban areas initiated in the early 20th century, rural regions' poverty index has strongly increased, leading to a decrease in government and corporate investment in those areas and respective desertification. RuralCool - a non-profit association located in the Portuguese region of Lafões, district of Viseu – has a mission: to counter this phenomenon and break the vicious circle – we want emigration to be a choice and not an obligation for future generations. We believe that rural life has a lot to offer and want to increase the quality of life and attract more young and diverse people and intend doing so with the promotion of the cultural, economic, social and environmental development and the responsible utilization of the area’s natural, intellectual and human resources.