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Join our non-profit spiritual and social centre near Lake Trasimeno, Italy

  • Last activity : 25 Jul 2025

Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: at least 3 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Hello, Workawayers!

    Would you like to spend time in a small, emerging holistic community in Italy that’s taking its first steps toward self-sustainability? Then we’d love to hear from you!

    We are a nonprofit organization founded on the principles of freedom, love, and conscious living. Our vision is to contribute to positive change on this planet – starting small, but with deep intention. So, we are engaged in protecting an old olive grove, organizing a Lgbd+ event, and hosting meditation retreats, matriarchal-based full moon meetings, and working on female leadership and holistic living together.

    We are based in a beautiful 300-year-old seminar house near Lake Trasimeno (close to Perugia and Assisi). Our focus is on living together as a small, heart-centered community while supporting our nonprofit mission. Some of our current activities include:

    Maintaining a small organic vegetable garden

    Light help within the household and with cooking (just for us and the volunteers)

    Basic care of olive trees and light outdoor tasks

    Optional: Spending time with a young woman in a wheelchair who lives with us. She is part of our community, and any help would be in the form of social support, like walks, board games, or preparing tea. No professional experience is required.

    We speak a mix of Italian, English, and often German. The charming village of Passignano is just 2 km away – a lovely walk – and the lake is just as close. There’s a train station 1.5 km from the house, making it easy to reach Perugia if you wish to study or explore.

    We primarily live and eat a mostly natural, vegetarian diet. We offer accommodation and meals in exchange for up to 25 hours of help per week (5 hours/day, 5 days a week, with 2 days off). Any additional contribution would be completely voluntary and up to you.

    If you feel drawn to co-creating this experience with us, we’d be happy to connect!

    Warmly,
    Margaretha

    P.S. As of spring/summer 2025, our household includes:
    – Margaretha (Austria, 59, Counselor)
    – Abdelfattah (64, Holistic Practitioner)
    – A young woman from Germany
    – 1 volunteer

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Charity Work
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Interests

    Interests

    Self development
    Sustainability
    Politics / Social justice
    Charity work
    Writing
    Gardening
    Books
    Water sports
    Yoga / Wellness
    Nature
  • 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 an intercultural household and nonprofit project, with roots in Austria, Morocco, Germany, and Italy. We live simply, reflect often, and explore alternative ways of living together in harmony, especially in a time when the world feels increasingly complex.

    Here, you can:

    Experience intentional community life

    Share in open conversations about culture, spirituality, and values

    Learn about natural living, meditation, and self-sustainability

    Take part in meaningful daily life while contributing to a small NGO project

    We regularly reflect on questions like:
    – How can we live together peacefully, even with different backgrounds and beliefs?
    – How can we stay grounded, creative, and kind in a fast-changing world?

    If you enjoy deep conversations, creativity, and being part of a community that values inner work and outer contribution, you may feel at home with us.

    P.S. We deeply value respect, inclusiveness, and diversity of thought – all respectful worldviews are welcome here.

  • Charity

    Registered charity

    This host is a registered charity in their country and is looking for volunteers to help with their project(s).

  • Help

    Help

    The rhythm of life here is simple and flexible. Some days are more focused on preparing meals, others on gardening or house care. Our current priorities include:

    Helping to prepare simple, nourishing meals (just for the household and volunteers)

    Light cleaning and maintenance of the house and garden

    We always aim to keep the help balanced, with plenty of time to rest, explore the area, or enjoy nature. The total help requested is no more than 25 hours per week.

  • Languages spoken

    Arabic: Fluent
    German: Fluent
    Italian: Fluent
    English: Intermediate
    French: Beginner

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    You have a room in the house. As it is an old Italian house, the rooms are simple. The bathrooms are shared.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    During your time off, you’ll have plenty of options to relax or explore the area.

    We’re just 2 km from Lake Trasimeno, where you can go for a swim, try paddleboarding or simply enjoy a walk by the water (we’ll be honest – the lake isn’t the Caribbean, but it has its charm!). We have bikes available if you'd like to explore the nearby villages, which are full of history and Italian flair.

    There’s a gym and local shops within walking or biking distance, and a train station just 1.5 km away. That makes it easy to visit beautiful places like Perugia, Assisi, Florence, or even Rome. In fact, many volunteers have enjoyed walking part of the pilgrimage route to Assisi – a peaceful and reflective experience.

    If you're interested in learning, we’re happy to share our skills:

    Nonviolent communication, group facilitation, Meditation and elements of shamanic practice (Margaretha)

    Arabic language basics and a calm, grounded approach to life from a Sufi-inspired perspective (Youssef)

    In the summer, the region comes alive with music, arts, and cultural festivals. Or… if you'd rather do nothing, sit under a tree and read – that's perfectly fine too.

    We believe that growth happens not only in activity, but also in stillness.

  • 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

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    yes, we have a Starlink connection. It is mostly very good. (Me too, I work a lot online!!!) and we have a cat.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    Well, the importance is that the pet is not dangerous for other members or the cat. Some dogs have problems being around other people, so the pet must be human and cat-friendly. And there is no fence around the house. On the other hand, the road is not very busy (1 car the hour), so if you have a smart or old dog, this could function - if the dog is nice to our beloved cat Ivy!

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • My animals / pets

    My animals / pets

    Ivy

    A friend brought us this cat from a camping place. It was October 2024, and the campground was empty. The cat was starving and very thin. Our friend asked us if we would take her, and we said yes, of course. Ivy is a true free spirit. She comes when she wants and she goes when she wants. She spends a lot of time outside in the summer. In winter, instead, she loves to stay with us in front of the warm oven. She is a hunter, and sometimes she brings us "presents" in the form of a mouse. We love her very much, and therefore, we are happy about dogs only when they also love cats.

Host ref number: 761445644812

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The image depicts a serene outdoor scene featuring a woman in a white dress sitting in a hammock chair, surrounded by trees and a distant mountain range on a sunny day.
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