updated   Last minute

Reliable, energetic and cheerful people welcome in the first eco-hostel in Tartu, Estonia

  • Favourited 1610 times
  • Last activity: 23 Apr 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 3 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Looking for last minute help in April and May!!!

    Hey you!

    Want to spend a few weeks in a cute bohemian eco-hostel in the beautiful university city of Tartu? NOW IS THE TIME!


    Crab the change to visit Tartu with the first signs of spring - icicles melting, grass and snowdrop flowers peeking out, bright blue sky and shining sun!

    Our small hostel is located a 20 minute walk away from the old town and city center, close by are the train station, Widget Factory (Aparaaditehas) and ever so romantic Toome hill.

    Our Eco-hostel is run by NGO, non-profit organization. All revenue goes to maintain the hostel and support our different eco-projects that are in progress. We have existed in Tartu for around 10 years. Our hostel family currently has 7 members - 4 receptionists, 1 manager and Sigrit and Helgur - the founders of the hostel.

    We are focused on green living and re/up-cycling and want to show our guests, volunteers and also people in town how small changes in everyday habits are easy but can make a difference. Besides that we value creativity - we are always a work in progress. Our aim is to host people who love traveling and socializing but want to keep their ecological footprint small. Raising awareness of environmental issues and inspiring travelers to be more environment-conscious are our main goals.

    In our work we implement the following environmental principles:

    -Most of our furniture is from second hand shops, reused or made from recycled materials, same goes for bed linens.
    -We use resources effectively and economically.
    -We prefer natural and environmentally friendly materials.
    -All cleansers we use have eco or nature-friendly label or we use vinegar solution.
    -We produce as little trash as we can. We sort the generated waste into household waste, packaging, paper and cardboard, bottles and biowaste.
    -We train our employees to be environmentally conscious and let them apply their knowledge on a daily basis.
    -We also encourage our guests to act responsibly towards the environment and share their knowledge with us and other guests.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Art Projects
    Language practice
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We are constantly changing and the hostel looks like the people who are working here, so everyone can have their say in its progress. All our workers and volunteers can try different tasks to improve themselves and/or to learn new things.
    Volunteers can learn and experience the green lifestyle in a hostel environment. But can also teach us!

    Our aim is to work as a family or group of friends - support each other on more difficult days and share the joys of all the fun times. We also try to do things together outside of the working hours with both the staff and volunteers - this helps to keep a good balance between being co-workers and friends, but also helps to get the most out of the short time a volunteer spends in the place.

    Besides that: Tartu is a small historic university town that has a relaxed and youthful vibe. It is the second biggest town in Estonia. Tartu is surrounded by nature - forest and farmlands. The transportation to and from Tartu is great, so it's possible to visit other towns and valuable natural areas. So whatever interests you have, you can find it here in the town or around it.

  • Help

    Help

    In our everyday activity we need help with cleaning and preparing the rooms but it is as important as chatting with the guests and making them feel welcomed here. Everyday tasks in the hostel can be quite repetitive, so you'll have to find ways to keep it interesting for yourself!

    Everything in the place is in constant change - we are rebuilding and rearranging things all the time, so sometimes we need help with building things, painting, gardening, redesigning, sewing and so on. All great and crazy ideas how to improve the hostel are always welcome!

    We can share Eco-lifestyle ideas with each other and are always as keen as learning from others as inspiring!

    We also need help with our website or if you have creative ideas, and like to write things, you could help us out in making posts to social media and organizing events - we have had concerts on the rooftop, movie nights with the staff and different workshops once in a while. But it is best if you are social and active yourself.

    If you consider applying to come and join our team please answer these questions for us (if you are surprised by some of them, then those are just for spam-check because we get a lot of spam request but we prefer volunteers who really like to come to join us and not just any place ):

    What color are your eyes? :D
    What do you think one day in the hostel as a volunteer looks like?
    What are your best skills?
    What is that one thing you absolutely don't like to do?
    When would you like to join us and for how long would you like to stay with us?
    Where are you traveling now and where are you planning to go next?
    How "green" you consider yourself to be?

    Please take into account that we expect our volunteers to respect the established working hours; follow instructions and work to be better every day; keep an open mind to all types of situations and go through them with a healthy sense of humor and last but definitely not least keep in mind that the people of the hostel have taken into account the dates provided to them to fill their volunteer schedule and understand that the volunteering spot could have belonged to another person.

    The best length of stay is 3-5 weeks. Less won't give you a full of experience of our place and Tartu. Longer stays are possible, but then we have a small trial-period to see if we fit each other for a long period.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Estonian: Fluent

    This host offers a language exchange
    This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
    You can contact them directly for more information.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Shared dormitory rooms - if possible then the smaller room, that is shared with other volunteers. If that is not possible then a more private corner in the bigger dorm room.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    Volunteers can wander around Tartu, visit lovely woodenhouse areas, relax on the riverside, go to the beach and swim, visit museums or science center, bars and cafes. Or take a train or bus and explore the surrounding nature areas: big lakes like Peipsi, Võrtsjärv or Saadjärv; forest trails, small villages or other towns near by. There are cool hiking places around and we recommend going to bogs to get the real Estonian nature experience.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 5 hours per day and 5 days of working every week

Host ref number: 318337614795

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