Help us build an off the grid log cabin in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina

Details

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  Description

  This is a future off the grid living place for our family. We have 5 acres of land in central Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Budoželjska mountain near the city of Vareš. We are surrounded by many historical sites such as medieval necropolas and foundation of the late antique basilica; in our neigbourhood is the medieval kingdom city of Bobovac. We are young couple (35 and 33) who dreams of living out of the city. The husband Armin is an electrician and very good handyman, and the wife Aida is an art historian with 10 years of working experiance at art museum. We both are passionate hikers and mushroom hunters. For the begining we would like to make our log cabin totaly off the grid and we are hoping some of you would be interested to join us in expoloring wild nature of Bosnia and Herzegovina and helping us in reaching our dream.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  DIY and building projects
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will have the chance to learn natural building techniques with wooden materials, to be precise scandinavian type of log cabin. Also, you will have the chance the meet the rich cultural and historical heritage of medieval Bosnian kingdom including the city of Vareš which was the biggest blacksmith center in the older periods of history (Vareš keeps one of the oldest catholic churches in Bosnia that is partly submerged in the ground, interesting local living architecture and a lake). Also, we can teach you how to cook our local dishes influenced by the Ottoman cousine and our traditional sevdalinka songs. You will have the posibility to try our domestic rakija - local liquer made out of apples. If you like hiking you will be able to explore nearest mountains: Perun (1447 m), Budozelje (1263 m) and Zvijezda (1433 m). Aida is also 9 year long yoga practicioner, so we can practice yoga in natural environment ^^

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  In the process of making our log cabin we will use as most of the natural building techniques as we can. We will use local pine trees (that have been damaged in heavy winter by snow). We have allready collected the logs and scraped the bark off of them. We expect from you to help us in carving the joints and placing the logs on the right place. We expect you to help us in all of the nessecery activities such as: lifting, caring, nailing and carving.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Off the grid old house is located above our property in an abandoned village. The name of this village is Orah (walnut) and this house is the only one that has been left in use. The only reason why we don't use this house for living is because of the narrow terrain: we can not plant and keep animals on this kind of terrain. The house is 150 years old and made of clay bricks so the temperature is very chilly during the summer. The house has two floors and three apartments, the volunteers will stay in one of the apartments which has two rooms: a kitchen and a bedroom. In the bedroom, there are two beds, and in the kitchen is an old forged stove. The (composting) toilet and showers are outdoors.
  
  We will provide You with the groceries for the whole week and you can cook on the stove at the off-grid house. The stove is on wood.

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  What else ...

  Near our properity there is a bus line that drives to Vareš and Sarajevo (Sarajevo is 34 kilometers far away from this place). We are willing to give you personal touristic tours of Sarajevo and Vareš also. You can explore the local archeological sites: medieval necropolis Budozelje and Didorada, remainings of the late antique basilica at Gradac hill and visit the remainings of the medieval Bosnian kingdom at Bobovac. There is a shop at the main street and you can find a lot of caffee shops and bars in city of Vareš and Breza. Also you can visit hiking homes on mountains of Perun, Budozelje and Zvijezda.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We are wellcoming all kinds of pets.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  4-5 hours only during the weekend