ESC: I know how, empower the group, and heal the Earth

Name: ESC: I know how, empower the group, and heal the Earth
Start: 2024-07-01
End: 2025-03-03
Location: Zhelen, Bulgaria

Code: ae043830-f652-11ee-aae3-fa163ef8d720 Copied

Bulgaria Education Environment European Voluntary Service Education Environment +1 Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

Our partner is a Bulgarian association dedicated to fostering community engagement and social cohesion through various initiatives and activities. Founded with the aim of promoting cultural exchange, environmental sustainability, and youth empowerment, our partner focuses on creating opportunities for personal and collective growth. Through its programs and projects, the association seeks to address social challenges, empower individuals, and build resilient communities. Our partner is known for its inclusive approach, welcoming people from diverse backgrounds and fostering collaboration and cooperation among participants. With a commitment to positive social change and community development, our partner plays a significant role in promoting solidarity and civic engagement in Bulgaria.

💼 What the programme involves

We warmly welcome you to join us in embracing the natural beauty of the Balkan Mountains, where we strive for biodiversity, social cohesion, and personal development! Become a steward of our environment, explore other eco-initiatives across Bulgaria, and immerse yourself in authentic lifestyles. Throughout your stay, we prioritize self-improvement, communal living, and healthy practices, including daily routines, shared circles, nutritious meals, and teamwork. Engage in local community projects and eco-initiatives in Zhelen and beyond. Develop your green skills by mastering tools, cultivating sustainable food, building eco-friendly homes, and fostering harmony between nature, communities, markets, and institutions. Join us in our commitment to regenerative ecology and agriculture, creating sustainable living environments in the face of climate change. Welcome to the Vegetarium Community Home! Please review our guidelines: http://vegetarium.info/our-rules/

🏠 Accommodation on site

We share a hamlet of authentic clay houses, improved with common space, modern kitchen and bathroom. We are looking for 2 volunteers: or a couple, sharing a room, or each one will have a privet room, but occasionally to be able to share it with another person.

🍲 Food

We are growing, foraging, cooking and eating together a healthy, plant based food. Sometimes, we are adding a little amount of eggs or diary products.

📍 About the location

Living in the mountain we mainly walk or horse-ride, when possible. At one hour of walk from our home is the train station with regular connection to Sofia (60 km) and Svoge (15 km) or a bus.

Zhelen is a village located in the Danube Valley region of Bulgaria, surrounded by lush green hills and extensive forests. Its history dates back several centuries, marked by its rich cultural heritage and rural past. Zhelen is also home to a dynamic associative sector, with several local organizations working on community development projects, environmental preservation, and the promotion of sustainable tourism. These initiatives are often carried out in collaboration with national and international partners to maximize their impact and reach. The diverse geography of the region provides an ideal setting for these activities, with picturesque landscapes conducive to ecotourism and nature conservation awareness.

🎒 Leisure activities

In Zhelen, Bulgaria, volunteers can engage in a variety of leisure activities. From hiking picturesque trails and exploring the region's rich cultural heritage to participating in outdoor sports like cycling and horseback riding, there's something for everyone. Nature enthusiasts can enjoy eco-tours and wildlife spotting, while wellness seekers can indulge in yoga retreats and meditation sessions amidst the tranquil surroundings. With opportunities for volunteering, culinary experiences, and attending local festivals, Zhelen offers a diverse range of experiences for the volunteers to enjoy.

⚠️ Requirements

No previous experience needed. You need strong motivation and will to live the values and principles of the project, to practice it's lifestyle. To be open and implement the desired habits, regarding food, daily regime and program. To be ready to handle responsibilities. For this, you need to be listening, flexible, hardworking and willing to persevere. The specific knowledge, skills and attitudes transmitted, are demanding openness and respect toward our experience in the last 20 years. Volunteers with specific needs, regarding addictions, or early quitting of studies are welcome!

Application deadline: 01/06/2024.

ℹ️ Additional information

The project is implemented under the European Solidarity Corps Programme, financed by the European Commission.
The participating organisations have to be mindful of these needs as they are responsible for providing a respectful and trusting hosting environment. At the same time, the organisations participating in the initiative devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to set up a high-quality activity; they should therefore expect that European Solidarity Corps participants show a similar level of respect for the local communities and the people that are directly concerned by the activities (https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/mission_en).

What do we provide ?

Training before and after the project;
health insurance during your project;
round-trip travel reimbursement;
accommodation and food;
pocket money;
language course;
return week-end;
Youth Pass and SVI international Volunteer passport.

Before applying for this volunteering project, volunteers need to enroll themselves at European Solidarity Corps Platform (https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en) and specify their European Solidarity Corps Participant Number (PRN).
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label.
Contact the ESC coordinator at +32 2 888 67 13 to get more informations.

Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.