📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The local project is called “magic garden”. This former school garden of around three hectares in the city of Leipzig has been disused. In 2007 a local initiative started to revive it and create a place for children of all ages to enjoy nature and play and learn outdoors, be creative and have fun. Individual children from the neighborhood, whole families, groups from kindergartens or primary schools use this offer to run projects, celebrate birthday parties or other events. Today you find there a safe space for city children to play outdoors and to experience and learn about nature. They built a bread oven, a treehouse, wooden huts and areas to stay and have a rest or make a campfire. You can hear the buzzing of bees, enjoy the beauty of flowers and butterflies and smell herbs.
💼 What the programme involves
You will support the local team building an Indian village with several tepees. This will be the new attraction of the garden. You will first prepare the material, then construct the tepees and other elements and finally set up the village. Other tasks to maintain the magic garden will be added. Please be aware that work can be physically hard in parts and that you will work outside even if it is rainy. In case of longer periods of rain some tasks may be realised in a former circus tent which is part of the magic garden. Please make sure to bring adequate clothes and shoes.
On several days you will run activities together with local pupils aged 14-18. So please be also prepared for this exchange and to present your country.
🏠 Accommodation on site
The accommodation is basic in tents in one part of the garden. Tents with camping beds will be provided. A small kitchen (and a campfire) is provided for cooking, there are toilets but only outdoor solar showers (!).
📍 About the location
Even though the place looks rural and you are doing camping, you will be in the city of Leipzig; the tram stops just in front of the magic garden and you have many opportunities. Leipzig has 560.000 inhabitants and was the centre of the peaceful revolution in Eastern Germany in 1989. Today it is called the “boomtown of the East”, university and industry are growing, many artists live here and you can find plenty of clubs, social initiatives…. At the same time Leipzig is surrounded by small lakes where you can swim, most of them leftovers from open-cast coal mining.
ℹ️ Additional information
AGE: 18-21 years old to not have a big gap between the volunteers and the local pupils.