The Liberi Sogni cooperative ("Free Dreams") is very active since 2006 and works organizing social, cultural and environmental projects in the districts of Lecco, Bergamo and Monza e Brianza. Many people who work in the cooperative have lived abroad for volunteering or working experiences and experimented directly how important is to promote solidarity and attention towards other cultures, especially among young people. Liberi Sogni organizes the workcamp to involve local and international young people (a group of Italian teens will share the workcamp), in the transformation of an abandoned wood in a place useful and pleasant for the local community. The main aims of the project are environmental education and awareness through active engagement of young people in an international and natural environment. Through the experience in the wood, we would like to achieve personal development, increase active citizenship in society, improving language competences, raise participants' awareness and understanding of other cultures and countries.
Work:
WORK: The work will be concentrated mainly in the morning, with four activities:1-Arrangement of the camp, taking care of the little vegetable garden and of the water tank2- work in the wood: building different things with wood materials, prepare a path for outdoor learning and building a new tree house3- Cooking to prepare lunch with organic food coming from the nearby area 4- Support to the creation of artistic and environmental laboratories
WORKING DAYS AND HOURS:
5 days and 4 hours per day
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: The volunteers will sleep in tents of 4 people. The tents will be provided. Electricity and hot water will be provided by photovoltaic and solar panels. The toilet are 2 compost toilets, made of wood. The meals will be prepared by the volunteers, who will eat together in a big tent. Most of the food will come from local farms of from the fair trade market.
Location & leisure:
LEISURE: In the afternoon the volunteers will take part in special workshops, games, and other activities (for example tree-climbing, excursions, land art, soap making workshops) or will get in contact with local associations or local people. Some evenings will be organized with "cultural nights", where one or more countries organize a dinner with the typical food and games and /or workshops to show their own culture. The rest of the evenings there will be moments at the fireplace, free evenings or some game in the darkness.The volunteers will have 2 days free, one will be arranged a trip to Lake Como, near Lecco city; other will be a day of self-management. Also the first day and the last day of the camp will be without working activities (except from cooking and arranging the camp).
LOCATION:
The workcamp will be carried out in "Campiano" which belongs to the municipality of Valgreghentino (LC), in the north of Italy. In the past this area was used for the agriculture, but now most of it is abandoned: we can see abandoned buildings, woods and fields. Invasive plants are growing avoiding the growth of the local ones.
TERMINAL:
Milan airports (Orio al Serio, Linate and Malpensa)
Requirements:
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: The volunteers will have to bring their own camping mattress and sleeping bag. Boys and girls will be divided. Participants must carry their belongings in a backpack, as they will arrive at camp by foot.
PROJECT: The association Bau Mela organizes most of its activities under a mountain area in the heart of Montiferru, where extreme landscape and natural value merge . Since 2011 BAU MELA manages a service center that allows the constant presence and volunteer activities in all seasons of the year. Some of the principles that inspire the recovery and enhancement of the valley are synergic gardening, permaculture, renewable energy, energy saving and development of pastoral traditions. The association also runs a study center on pastoralism and farming practices.
Work:
WORK: International volunteers will work in different activities necessary for the development of natural heritage and to tasks of maintenance and improvement of Bau Mela facilities. Specifically, the tasks of the volunteers will be synergistic horticulture activities; Recovery and cleaning paths; harvesting and processing of wild plants; eco-building with materials found on site; daily management of the forest and participation in meals preparation and cleaning of common areas.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: volunteers will sleep in tents. Natural toilets and showers are available. Electricity is available from photovoltaic panels in the facility, volunteers can charge devices.
Location & leisure:
LOCATION: Bau Mela community is in the isolated area of central Sardina. Buses arrives 2.5 km close and pick up service is provided. Train station is situated in Abbasanta, the nearest city is Oristano.
REQUIREMENTS:
ready to live in simple conditions, working clothes. Some tasks can be hard work, no internet connection available.
TERMINAL:
Cagliari airport and harbor. Better to arrive in the morning for catch the local connections at time.
PROJECT: Tular Centre for sustainable production, is an organic start-up cooperative, that work to merge different agricultural techniques and to valorize the social and cultural value of sustainable production. This is the reason why the Harvest and Threshing Feasts, when you reap with hand ancient wheat grains it is a chance to involve the community and the old farmers who still remember the traditional techniques. The participants to the Fest are also encouraged to join, since the bread that will be cooked in the next year with the harvested wheat will be very cheap for them. Tula hosted 2 successful workcamps in 2015 and 2016 and this is the third edition! The Feasts will include educational workshops and artistically events (music and buskers) while there will be the chance to buy local products.
Work:
WORK: The Feast will be an event of agricultural work with a small festival, every related task will be done by the volunteers: preparation of the interior of external spaces, assistance in the kitchen, reaping and harvesting by hand, public reception. In the 24th July, immediately after the party, will start a 2 weeks course of Permaculture (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture) and in those days you will be asked to help with the preparation for the course. Being primarily an agricultural activity, the dates of the Feasts are approximate and depend on weather. In case of rain other tasks will be performed.Please consider that in the farm live 2 children (1,5 and 5 years old) and that other children will be present during the party.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: the volunteers will be hosted in their own tents, close the farmhouse where the local staff live. Two internal bathrooms are available, another compost toilet and a shower are outside with hot water (from thermo compost). The food, vegetarian and not, you will be cooked together with volunteers. Mainly there will be our own production food: pasta, vegetables from the vegetable garden, cow and chicken meat, eggs, seasonal fruit.
Location & leisure:
LOCATION: Tular is located atop Mount Ponzano, in a hilly/mountain (850 m, asl) area, quite wild. The nearest town, Calcariola, is located at 6 km of gravel road, while Grotti, a town with a grocery store and two bars, is located at 7 km . In the land of the farm there are two swimming ponds, forests, pastures and arable land. Rieti is the provincial capital (50,000 inh.)
"Il Pungiglione" is a social cooperative that contributes to the development of the local community. The "Arianna's house" is located in Civita Castellana hosting important service including a family-house, a social and an educational center. This place particularly welcomes people with special needs to develop the potential of everybody. It's an empowerment center in the perspective of their social and professional inclusion. The "Arianna's house" is surrounded by a green area to be transformed in to a social garden and a community park. The social part of our "dream" in this project involves creating and sharing an alternative augmentative communication lab that overcomes the physical and cultural language barriers with integrated communication through images.
Work:
The volunteers will set up a social garden wich will be used like a way of personal growth and training for the persons welcomed , as to produce seasonal food to be consumed directly within the residential services. We will also setting up a public park to make the area around the "house" more usable and enjoyable by the entire community. In addition, volunteers will participate in the field trips with the "house" guests, as well as organize their theme evenings with other local associations, to end with a big party open to the whole community.
Working days and hours:
The volunteers will be involved in activities for about 6 hours a day, and will be guaranteed to them two days off. The work session can be divided and used in different activities in the same day or used continuously for the field trips.
Accomodation & food:
The "house" offers the opportunity to cook on site. The food will be bought on the basis of an indicative weekly menu and welcoming as far as possible the demands and preferences of the guests of the house, in this case the international volunteers. We prefer local, seasonal products, and vegetables and fruits are available for any vegetarian menu. As for housing, some of the local structure, with annexed bathrooms and showers, will be made available to the volunteers. Inside the "house" there are also one laundry room that can be used, as well as the wi-fi .
Location & leisure:
Civita Castellana is a town of 16,777 inhabitants in the province of Viterbo in Lazio. It is 37 kilometers from the provincial capital and 50 km from Rome.Civita Castellana is a place rich in history and natural beauty. Located on the hydrogeographic basin Treja, famous for its gorges and its historical and archeological trails.TerminalRome
Requirements:
The relationships with the guests, people with specials needs, will be important: volunteers will be asked to interact and enjoy on a peer basis. Social and communication competences are needed. Volunteers able to speak Italian are welcome, for a better interaction with the locals. Workcamp open to volunteers 21+ yo.
PROJECT: The association Bau Mela organizes most of its activities under a mountain area in the heart of Montiferru, where extreme landscape and natural value merge . Since 2011 BAU MELA manages a service center that allows the constant presence and volunteer activities in all seasons of the year. Some of the principles that inspire the recovery and enhancement of the valley are synergic gardening, permaculture, renewable energy, energy saving and development of pastoral traditions. The association also runs a study center on pastoralism and farming practices.
Work:
WORK: International volunteers will work in different activities necessary for the development of natural heritage and to tasks of maintenance and improvement of Bau Mela facilities. Specifically, the tasks of the volunteers will be synergistic horticulture activities; Recovery and cleaning paths; harvesting and processing of wild plants; eco-building with materials found on site; daily management of the forest and participation in meals preparation and cleaning of common areas.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD: volunteers will sleep in tents. Natural toilets and showers are available. Electricity is available from photovoltaic panels in the facility, volunteers can charge devices.
Location & leisure:
LOCATION: Bau Mela community is in the isolated area of central Sardina. Buses arrives 2.5 km close and pick up service is provided. Train station is situated in Abbasanta, the nearest city is Oristano.
TERMINAL:
Cagliari airport and harbor. Better to arrive in the morning for catch the local connections at time.
Requirements:
REQUIREMENTS: ready to live in simple conditions, working clothes. Some tasks can be hard work, no internet connection available.
« I would recommend participating in a workcamp, especially with VAP, who ensured that I found a project to suit me and provided essential training for me in preparation for my trip. Being part of a workcamp really is a life-changing experience, oh, and it looks great on your CV! »
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