📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Villa Olanda is an old manor in Luserna San Giovanni, a small town in Pellice Valley near Pinerolo in the province of Turin. In 1800 the manor was the residence of local lords, in early 900 it became a hotel, then a shelter for Russians during the Revolution and the 2nd World War.
Lately it has had different usages and has been left in decay. Villa Olanda is a big manor with a wide park, its potential has remained unexploited for a long time. The Synod Commission for Diaconia Valdese is working to give this manor back to the local territory making it a meeting, educational and training place.
Now, it hosts several activities: a local radio, Radio Beckwith, a hosting centre for refugees and a meeting centre for local youngsters, where international programs are organized, to put the rural people in touch with different cultures.
The Synod Commission for Diaconia Valdese supports youth mobility, international exchanges and international volunteer service to promote an inclusive multicultural society.
Volunteer work has always been a milestone for our association and considered by young people as an experience of growth and non formal learning.
💼 What the programme involves
The young volunteers will be engaged in activities offering them the opportunity to work in a tight-knit group. They will be able to develop their initiative. The work aims at keeping the place in order and improving it in order to make it more homely for the local people.
The activities proposed are both creative and maintenance work:
maintenance and embellishment of areas out of the manor park, creating green areas, flower beds, aromatic herb gardens and work in the orchard;
cleaning-up Villa Olanda park (gardening, collecting leaves, cleaning-up abandoned areas, planting trees);
embellishment of the common room used as a canteen, cinema etc for the local community;
creative activities handicrafts like silk screen on t-shirts or production of pins with the association logo and others.
🏠 Accommodation on site
The volunteers will stay in the manor where a floor has been used as a hostel: www.ostellovillaolanda.it that can host 28 people in 4-6-8 bed rooms, with bathroom.
There is a common kitchen, shifts will be organized to prepare the meals and for cleaning. A Diaconia Valdese operator will be in charge of providing the food, also considering everyone’s need.
Available facilities: wi-fi, playgrounds, table tennis, open areas.
📍 About the location
Visits to places of interest in the area can be organized during the stay, as well as meetings with the migrants hosted by the association, meetings with the groups of youngsters organized by Diaconia Valdese, or speak about the results of the camp activities on the radio based at Villa Olanda.
