Join a community actively involved in sustainable living near Kandbari, Palampur, India

Details

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  Description

  Hello! I’m Ira, and I run a homestay in the beautiful Palampur area, nestled at the foothills of the Dhauladhar mountains. Our eco-friendly mud home is thoughtfully built with natural materials like mud bricks and bamboo, blending traditional architecture with modern comforts. Designed to breathe with the environment, the home remains warm in winters and cool in summers, offering a truly unique experience that contrasts with conventional concrete structures.
  
  We’re driven by a passion for sustainable living, community empowerment, and mindful travel. By using local materials and labor, we ensure that the money stays within the community, supporting livelihoods while promoting environmentally friendly practices.
  
  We’re currently looking for dedicated volunteers to join us in this journey and help bring our vision to life!
  
  What We’re Looking For
  
  We need passionate individuals who can commit to a minimum of 2 months and contribute in the following areas:
  
  Kitchen and Housekeeping Coordination: Organizing the kitchen and maintaining clean, welcoming guest spaces.
  
  Guest Care: Assisting with guest check-ins, ensuring their comfort, and sharing insights about the local culture and surroundings.
  
  Gardening or Animal Care (Preferred): Experience in gardening or handling animals would be a valuable addition.
  
  Basic Maintenance: Tasks like painting doors, minor repairs, and property upkeep.
  
  Agricultural Work: Helping on our organic farm during planting or harvesting seasons.
  
  Opportunities for Learning and Creativity
  
  Volunteering at Irashideaway is a chance to gain hands-on experience and explore your creative side:
  
  Traditional Building Techniques: Learn to work with eco-friendly materials like mud bricks and bamboo.
  
  Organic Farming: Help grow and harvest fruits, vegetables, and herbs, while learning sustainable farming practices.
  
  Art Projects: Participate in creative endeavors such as crochet, painting, macrame, magnet making, mud art, and Lippan art.
  
  Woodworking and Craftsmanship: Craft picture frames, construct a wood-fired earthen oven, and engage in other DIY projects.
  
  Permaculture and Landscaping: Assist with implementing permaculture principles and designing sustainable landscapes.
  
  Skills Required
  
  Fluency in Hindi and English (for smooth communication).
  
  Basic Cooking Knowledge: There may be times when you’ll need to prepare your own meals, so it’s important to know how to cook simple, healthy dishes.
  
  Basic organizational and hospitality skills.
  
  Prior experience or knowledge in any of the tasks listed above is highly appreciated.
  
  What We Offer
  
  In exchange, you’ll enjoy:
  
  A Comfortable Stay: Hygienic accommodation in our eco-friendly mud home with modern amenities.
  
  Farm-to-Table Meals: Relish fresh, wholesome meals prepared with produce from our farm. When we’re unavailable, you’ll have access to the kitchen to cook your own meals with these ingredients.
  
  Flexible Hours: Plenty of time to explore the stunning Dhauladhar mountains, engage with local Gaddi culture, or relax in nature.
  
  Unique Experiences: Participate in curated dining experiences like:
  
  Indoor Dining: Cozy meals inside our mud home.
  
  Garden Table Setups: Rustic outdoor dining surrounded by greenery.
  
  Garden Picnics: A relaxing picnic on mats in our lush garden.
  
  
  Why Join Us?
  
  At Irashideaway, you’ll be welcomed into a community actively involved in sustainable living, environmental consciousness, and cultural sharing. This is more than just volunteering—it’s an opportunity to experience and contribute to a slower, more meaningful way of life, while gaining valuable skills and making lifelong memories.
  
  How to Apply
  
  If you’re ready to embark on this journey and commit for at least 2 months, send us a message with a bit about yourself, your skills, and why this opportunity excites you.
  
  We look forward to welcoming you to the Irashideaway family!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Interests

  

  Dancing

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Performing arts

  

  Music

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Plant care

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Art & design

  

  Animals

  

  Nature
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Visitors can stay with us and learn more about how we live, cook, eat etc. We live in a place where the Gaddi culture is still alive, though struggling to maintain its identity. This is an interesting place to explore nearby parts of the Dhauladhar mountains, attend courses/discussions. The village we live in has beautiful walks at varying altitudes, quaint surroundings, a mountain stream and lots of greenery. We can teach beginners yoga, pranayama and meditation to those with interest.

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  Help

  Volunteer Responsibilities include:
  
  1. Managing Daily Activities: Contribute to operations, cooking, gardening, landscaping, and general upkeep around the property.
  2. Supporting the Kitchen: Help prepare healthy, farm-to-table meals, and assist in cleanup to maintain our warm, communal atmosphere.
  3. Household and Garden Maintenance: Take part in cleaning guest rooms, common areas, and outdoor spaces, as well as planting, weeding, and nurturing the garden.
  4.Environmental Initiatives: Assist with garbage removal from nearby streams, tree planting, and establishing waste disposal systems for the area.
  5. Permaculture and Eco-Friendly Practices: Participate in bio-enzyme cleaner production, composting, and sustainable waste management.
  
  At times, when we're not home, you may need to whip up your own meals, feel free to get creative in the kitchen! We also ask that you take care of and clean your own space, to keep things cozy and clean for everyone.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Hindi: Fluent
  Punjabi (Eastern): Intermediate

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  Accommodation

  Accommodation would involve rooms in our mud house. The room is airy, warm and well lighted. Food will involve simple meals with the family in our kitchen. We serve simple but nutritious meals , and you can always cook what you want as we have all the basic ingredients and utensils. We are trying our best to manage our plastic waste and would like volunteers to fully cooperate in this endeavor.

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  What else ...

  Kandbari is an interesting village with a number of beautiful walks among the pastures and the fields, a Himalayan stream (our regular haunt during summer afternoons) and treks to nearby mountain destinations. The quiet atmosphere and the clear air attracted us here. Though the village life is changing today with greater money inflow, it still has more desirables than otherwise. Peoples' lives are getting more and more connected to markets and the products it throws at us but this also creates an opportunity to promote alternatives that are healthful, sustainable and equitable.

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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 host digital nomads

  We have a wi-fi connection here delivering about 6 Mbps (actual).

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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