Join our family garden, art and sustainable living project in Esentepe, Cyprus

Details

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  Description

  We are a family living on a hillside property in Esentepe, Cyprus, surrounded by gardens, fruit trees, olive trees, vegetable-growing areas and beautiful views towards the sea and mountains.
  
  This has been our family home for many years and, over time, it has become much more than just a house and garden. My mother, Servet, is an artist and has always had creative ideas for the place, including art, workshops and sharing creativity with others. My father, Mevlüt, is a very practical person who has spent many years working with the land, trees, gardening, repairs and all the everyday things that keep a place like this alive. I am Ural, their son, and I help organise and develop the project with them.
  
  We have hosted Workawayers before and some of those experiences became very meaningful friendships for us. We enjoy meeting people from different countries, exchanging ideas, working together, sharing meals and having interesting conversations. We are interested not only in getting help, but in creating a genuine cultural and human exchange.
  
  We are now beginning a new chapter for the property. We would like to gradually improve the gardens, care for the existing trees, grow food, organise and restore different areas, develop more sustainable systems, and bring more art and creativity into the place. We are interested in permaculture ideas, composting, water conservation, biodiversity, practical reuse of materials and finding simple solutions that work with nature rather than against it.
  
  There is no need to be an expert. We appreciate people who are curious, responsible, kind, practical and willing to participate. Depending on your interests and skills, there may be gardening, pruning, planting, composting, maintenance, creative DIY, organising spaces, cooking, art projects and many other small projects.
  
  We also value the social side of Workaway. Conversations over tea or a meal, sharing music, learning about each other's cultures, making something together or simply enjoying the garden are part of the experience for us.
  
  If you are looking for a peaceful family environment where you can contribute, learn, create and leave something positive behind, we would be happy to hear from you.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Elderly Companionship

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We hope the exchange goes well beyond completing a list of jobs.
  
  Workawayers can experience everyday family life in Cyprus, learn about local food and culture, gardening in a Mediterranean climate, fruit and olive trees, vegetable growing, composting, water-conscious gardening and practical approaches to sustainable living.
  
  Servet is an artist, so there may also be opportunities for artistic exchange, drawing, painting and creative projects. Mevlüt has a lifetime of practical experience and enjoys hands-on problem solving. Ural is interested in sustainability, permaculture, science and exchanging ideas with people from different backgrounds.
  
  We have found that some of the best moments of previous Workaway experiences came from conversations, shared meals and learning from each other. We hope our Workawayers will teach us things too. Everyone arrives with different knowledge, experiences and ways of seeing the world.

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  Help

  There are many different ways to help, depending on the season and your interests.
  
  Typical activities can include light gardening, caring for fruit and olive trees, planting and vegetable growing, composting, clearing and organising garden areas, improving irrigation and water use, small maintenance jobs, painting, creative DIY and helping us gradually improve different parts of the property.
  
  There may also be opportunities to help with art and creative projects with Servet, cooking and sharing meals, organising spaces, or simply bringing your own ideas and skills to the project.
  
  We don't expect one person to do everything. We prefer to find activities that match both what currently needs doing and what you genuinely enjoy or would like to learn.
  
  Some outdoor work can be physically demanding, particularly during warm weather, so we organise activities sensibly according to the season and weather.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Turkish: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Workawayers will have simple, comfortable accommodation on our family property. The exact arrangement may depend on the number of guests and what spaces are available at the time.
  
  The property has different buildings and outdoor areas, so there is room for both social interaction and personal space. Bathroom and kitchen facilities are available, and meals can sometimes be shared as a family. But meals are to be provided for sure.
  
  Our home is not a hotel or luxury accommodation. It is a lived-in family property with gardens, trees, animals, tools, ongoing projects and all the imperfections that come with real life. We hope to host people who feel comfortable in this kind of relaxed environment.

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  What else ...

  Esentepe is a peaceful area between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. There are beautiful views, places for walking and hiking, and the coast is nearby. Kyrenia (Girne) and Nicosia (Lefkoşa) can also be visited, and we can help you understand local transport and places worth seeing.
  
  Life here is generally quiet and connected to the garden and outdoors rather than nightlife. There is internet access, and there are spaces where you can relax, read, work online or simply spend time in nature.
  
  Most importantly, we would like people who come here to feel that they are temporarily becoming part of our home rather than simply exchanging a few hours of labour for accommodation.
  
  Some of our previous Workawayers became people we still remember with great affection. We hope future exchanges can develop with the same spirit of openness, respect, humour, curiosity and friendship.

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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

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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