Profile information
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
25 Sep 2024
Reply rate
75.0 %
Usually responds within 26 days
Feedback
12
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Details
Description
We are a young(ish!) English family that moved to this wonderful part of Portugal to live a more simple and connected life. Our land has a house, an alternative school, preschool, ruins and lots of woodland. A small river runs round the side of it and leads up to a series of waterfalls about 1km away. It really is magical. We are searching for volunteers who have experience of working with children, growing veg, caring for animals and creating magic.
We have horses, donkeys, ducks, chickens and a dog. They are very friendly! We'd love someone with horse experience as we have two further horses at a wonderful riding centre too.
We expect help in return for good company, food and lots of life lessons sharing! We all have strong work ethics here but also know how to have fun, party ( a little) and laugh!
Accommodation is in our volunteer apartment and school 'office' which is in Espinhal village, 10 minutes walk from the school project with perfect internet and a cafe beneath it and very nice views.
There are plenty of people to mix with as there is a strong alternative commmunity with music nights, monthly market, cafes, art workshop and dance classes , and riding lessons. In winter it can get quiet due to the weather so you need to be Ok with quiet times too. There is always plenty of nature to explore and many kids and a team of 20 dynamic staff!
Minimum 2 month or ideally more needed but 2 week trial period for both host and workawayer
Our project serves 10 preschool children, 20 middle school children and now newly 20 secondary aged children in an incredible waterfall valley, with one classroom made entirely by the kids out of mud (cob).
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
NGO skills, education / teaching skills (we have trained Montessori teachers) gardening skills, animal care, growing organically, horse riding and donkey care, cob house building
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Right now our priority is someone who can work with our preschool age children 3-6 (Sep 2023)
We are in need of people to help with supporting the preschool children and older children too. The preschool needs 2 days of help and the rest of the project ad-hoc hours. There are always also jobs around the farm with animals and plants.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Portuguese: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
French: BeginnerThis 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
We can offer a private room in an apartment in the village the village has cafes, cash machine, post office, restaurant and a good shop and bakers. This is 10 minutes walk from our property.
What else ...
Whilst our place feels like quite a remote rural retreat, it is only 1 km from the nearest small town - which has cafes, bank, shops, post office, buses etc. The waterfall is at the top of our valley and can be easily reached along a track above our house, and there are lots of beautiful river beaches nearby. Also close to us is the white-washed castle town of Penela and Portugal's third biggest city - Coimbra.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (10)
I worked mostly with the kids helping at the school and looking after the girls
I learned a lot about alternative schooling, montessori activities and education in general. I also sometimes helped in the beautiful garden or with the animals (plenty of animals all more cute than the other… read more
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I worked mostly with the kids helping at the school and looking after the girls
I learned a lot about alternative schooling, montessori activities and education in general. I also sometimes helped in the beautiful garden or with the animals (plenty of animals all more cute than the other… read more
That’s is a special place made with special people, when that’s happens we put this word: family, a beautiful family.
Working with this lightning persons, include the kids was for me a time for cure myself after this pandemics time and bring sun again to my days.
Was a pleasure see the horses arriving, play with… read more
I can start to say that not only the family is wonderful, but the enviroment, the people involved in this educational project, the animals and children too. They are people with golden heart and open mind! Generous, funny, with the inner child alive (so, I realy identified and feel like… read more
A lovely guy and we would definitely recommend that others look to host him too.
They were also eager to give advice for things to see around the local area which had no shortage of… read more
It turned out to be pretty bad weather for most of our stay there (3 weeks) which meant we got to spend time helping out with the home schooling of… read more
