Help a community in a river oasis in sunny Sicily, Italy

Details

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  Description

  We’ve recently bought a whole valley—22 hectares of river and nature oasis in southern Sicily, nestled between Modica and Ragusa. It’s a truly beautiful and quite untouched ecosystem, home to a rich diversity of birdlife, plants, and aquatic species.
  
  We lovingly call it Il Nido—“The Nest” in Italian. The vision for Il Nido is to become a nature sanctuary offering people in life transitions or challenging times a space to rest, recharge, and reconnect with their passion. Imagine a refuge for the empty page between life chapters.
  
  After spending several years in various meditation and yoga centers, a deep longing emerged to create a physical space that offers gentle structure, while also allowing freedom and playfulness for inner processes and creative discovery. Il Nido is also a place for community and the arts—a serene environment for reflection, healing, and inspiration, surrounded by nature's beauty.
  
  We’re currently in the pre-opening phase, preparing the space to eventually welcome guests—likely after the summer break (June–August, as it gets quite hot). Until then, we're caring for the land, doing some renovations, maintaining it, and showering it with love and attention.
  
  This is a gift-based project, not run on capitalist principles of profit or income. The land and basic infrastructure were gifted to support the creation of this vision. When we open, guests will stay on a donation basis, in alignment with the project's spirit of generosity and trust.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  House sitting
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  Interests

  

  Charity work

  

  Farming

  

  Culture

  

  Self development

  

  Sustainability

  

  Technology

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  LGBTQ

  

  Performing arts

  

  Photography

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Art & design

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Gardening

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Carpentry

  

  Animals

  

  Beach

  

  Cycling

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Mountain

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Dancing
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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

  This is truly a space of co-creation—and a bit of an experiment.
  
  Although I come from a background in high-performing entrepreneurship (and yes, this could be run in a very structured, productive way), that’s not what I’m in for this time. Over the years, I’ve witnessed the power of collective, intuitive processes—where people follow their inner compass rather than a fixed plan. Our left and right brains make a great team, but here, I want to give more space to the right brain: the creative, intuitive, emotional, artistic, non-verbal, and imaginative.
  
  If that resonates with you, you’re in the right place. Productivity, for me, has become something that flows naturally when I follow what I love, rather than what’s linear or expected. We’re dancing in the liminal space here—between structure and freedom, work and play, rest and creation.
  
  From time to time, we take the car for little adventures: a beach trip, a granita in Modica, or a visit to a local community or cultural and musical event. A bit of dolce vita is always welcome. Many of the locals here have become dear friends, and we often hang out and share meals together or they come on the weekends to the valley to visit.
  
  During your stay, I can offer: meditation and yoga sessions, philosophical and practical talks, vegan cooking, somatic bodywork, wilderness survival skills, music jams (we have a little studio and instruments), fireside storytelling, dancing, playing, and creating together, an open ear and an open heart
  
  I also carry knowledge in building and construction, entrepreneurship, holacracy, project management, communication tools, and insights from years of climate and social justice activism.
  
  But just as much as I can share, I want this space to be a canvas for your expression, ideas, gifts, and curiosities. This isn’t just a work exchange—it’s an invitation to shape something together.

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  Help

  We’d love a minimum stay of 2–3 weeks—ideally even 1 to 2 months—to keep the integrity and family feeling of the group.
  
  I’m looking for some enthusiastic souls to share this magical valley with me—exploring nature, swimming in the river, enjoying campfires, and having fun with a mix of clean-up, building, and beautifying projects for around 4–5 hours a day. It's all very flexible and intuitive.
  
  This land used to host an eco-tourism project with a large restaurant before COVID hit, but it’s been closed and untouched for the past five years. You’d be one of the very first to join the “bringing-this-place-back-to-life” party! Woohoo!
  
  This is a co-created space, so there’s no fixed list of what needs to be done. It’s just as much an exploration for you—to discover what you feel inspired to contribute. You can shape your own daily rhythm and dive into whatever calls you most.
  
  Some possible tasks: clearing and cleaning the land, collecting trash and leftover materials, cutting back trees and overgrowth, building wooden platforms, furniture, or A-frame cabins, repairing old stone walls or fences, painting and carpentry, creating an outdoor fireplace or natural pool, gardening, landscaping, permaculture, repotting plants, creating art, decorating, cooking meals, being our DJ, hosting a workshop to share your gifts with the group—costumes and playfulness is encouraged!
  
  This land has so much potential, and I can’t wait to breathe fresh energy and joy back into it. That said, it’s also a big space—a whole valley! So it helps to bring a light-hearted, optimistic, and playful spirit, paired with a pragmatic, problem-solving mindset.
  
  Infrastructure is basic at the moment. There’s a 4x4 car to navigate the 3km off-road track into the valley. Most of the work is outdoors, and the weather is usually sunny. Nights can get chilly a bit, but we’ll provide plenty of blankets and we have a cozy living room and stove to spend our days when it rains.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Italian: Beginner

  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.
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  Accommodation

  There’s a main house with full infrastructure, including an industrial kitchen, bathrooms, and warm showers and a lovely living room with a cozy stove.
  
  You’re the right kind of person if you’re happy with simple living and minimal infrastructure. A cozy tent with a comfortable bed will be provided for you, which you can set up anywhere on the land. It’s truly magical to fall asleep to the sound of the river and wake up to birdsong. We currently have seven tent spots available.
  
  The group will usually be around 5-7 people. Each day, one person will take care of cooking, and we’ll rotate so everyone gets a chance. Its a big plus if you know how to cook. The kitchen will be plant-based, and there will be plenty of food and snacks. You’re welcome to share your food preferences within the vegan specturm, and we’ll shop accordingly.
  
  If you’d like anything extra (like cheese, eggs, etc.), you can buy it for yourself during our grocery runs—we go into Modica about twice a week (25-minute drive), or you can borrow the car anytime.

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  What else ...

  🕰️ TIMELINE
  The intention is to begin our mornings in silence—offering space for contemplation, connection with nature, and a gentle transition into the day. If there’s a longing, we can also co-create a shared morning practice such as meditation, yoga, or movement.
  
  At 9:00 AM, we gather for a daily check-in, where everyone is invited to share what is present for you at the moment, intentions, thoughts, emotions. From there, we collectively dive into our projects until around 1:30 PM, when we gather again for a shared lunch and a little celebration of what we've accomplished.
  
  Afternoons are fully open and yours to shape: explore the valley, head into Modica or Ragusa, go for a walk, swim in the river, journal, continue your project, play music, or simply rest. This space is as much about leisure and creativity as it is about contribution. The rhythm is intuitive, not rigid.
  
  Our long-term vision is to create a gifting-economy sanctuary, where guests follow their inner compass and participate freely, from a place of inspiration rather than obligation. We'll see how it unfolds :) High hopes! I'm well aware it's a bold shift from our usual systems, but honestly—I’m just tired of capitalism and excited to experiment with more playful, heart-centered ways of living and creating.
  
  We aim to start hosting the first guests after the summer break.
  
  🚭 ALCOHOL & SMOKE-FREE ESTATE
  Yes, this is a bold move—but one that feels aligned with the vision of Il Nido as a place for inner exploration, self-awareness, and reflection. That’s why this is an alcohol-, tobacco-, and substance-free space—including recreational drugs and plant medicine (with potential exceptions in the future).
  
  Why? Because in many of our lives, using substances—especially in social settings—has become normalized, often without much reflection. Here, we invite to explore a different way of being. To meet ourselves without filters. To experience connection, creativity, and community in a grounded way.
  
  When I first spent three months in such and environment, it profoundly changed my relationship with myself—and with the substances that have been my daily routine prior. This is not about judgment; it's about curiosity.
  
  If you feel this might be especially challenging for you during your stay, let’s talk. It doesn’t mean you can’t come—we just ask for open communication and mutual respect for the space we’re holding together.
  
  🚙 ACCESSIBILITY & GETTING AROUND
  We’re located about 25 minutes by car from Modica, with the last 3 km being a bumpy off-road track (4x4 needed—we’ve got one!). The beach is about 35 minutes away.
  
  There’s a night train from Milan to Siracusa that runs daily and connects well with our region. The nearest airport is Catania, and from there, you can take a direct bus to Modica 4–5 times a day.
  
  For the love of our dear Mother Earth, we strongly encourage traveling by train, ferry, or carpool whenever possible.

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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 very fast Starlink internet, 120 mbps

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We are open to pets as long as they are good with other animals. We might also have chickens and goats in the future.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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