Join our non-profit sustainable project in the mountains of Teteven, Bulgaria

Details

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  Description

  About Me
  
  Hello! Our names are Arsen and Tsvetomila, we are the founders of the NGO association.
  
  For the past 5 years, we have been building the eco project in the Balkan maintains, focused on permaculture, ecosystem restoration, sustainable living and healthy food. We enjoy sharing knowledge and learning from others.
  
  To be able to explore, together with like minded people, in global scale, we established NGO association.
  
  The Organization is a non-governmental, non-political, and non-religious association working for the public benefit.
  
  At that moment we are 7 members and 5 local volunteers.
  
  Our main project is building a place for sustainable craft, which name is "Live Museum of the Ecologically Sustainable Craft" You can find our stories on social networks, do not hesitate to ask for more information.
  
  After every masterclass we are planning to save the knowledge and build a separate working please to practice and teach volunteers and our visitors.
  
  We collect and master all kind of ecologically sustainable craft that can be useful for people.
  
  Life here is not luxurious, but it is peaceful and deeply connected with nature. If you can't enjoy peace, nature and can't live without the city and Internet connection, then it will be difficult for you here, it takes a lot of responsibility to live sustainable, off grid, you need to know how to take care of everything, be here and now, be able to act in accordance with the circumstances and be prepared for any changes.
  
  We're looking for responsible people who, at a minimum, should be able to take care of their belongings and themselves, maintain cleanliness and order, and strive for more, we're always open to sharing experiences.
  
  Please don't confuse us with a vacation resort. We're in survival mode, where everything is under construction. A piece of paper with written advice won't help here. We need real physical help. This is the first time in 5 years that we've decided to ask for help.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Help around the house

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Interests

  

  Farming

  

  Architecture

  

  Photography

  

  Events & social

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Sustainability

  

  Culture

  

  Self development

  

  Movies & TV

  

  Charity work

  

  Plant care

  

  History

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Blogging

  

  Carpentry

  

  Fitness

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  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

  Good opportunity for people who would like to learn different kind of sustainable crafts.
  You will have chance to try living 100% eco in our new sustainable project.
  Brainstorming, ideas, fantasy, business opportunities.
  Learning about traditional foods, fermentation, sourdough bread.
  
  We are happy to share the knowledge and experience we have collected through our projects and lifestyle.
  
  At the same time, we believe that every person who comes here brings valuable knowledge, culture, skills, and inspiration. Hosting people from different countries allows us to learn new perspectives, discover different traditions and ways of life, improve our communication, and expand our understanding of the world.

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  Registered charity

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

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  Help

  Usually Arsen and Tsvetomila starting the day in the bakery, from 4:00 till 13:00, for now our bakery is the main financial resources for our projects.
  Around 9:00 Arsen is going out with the volunteers to build the projects, for now there are several objects in the building process: "Live Museum of Sustainable Craft", big house for the volunteers, Isolation of the old house, building and cleaning infrastructure, clean and improve the spring waters, digging and leveling terraces, constructing of stone gabions, sometimes on Saturdays we are choosing the place to clean the nature from the garbage. We plan the day all together and improvise, taking care and helping each other.
  
  We are happy for any help,
  Natural building and eco-construction,
  gardening and permaculture activities,
  learning and teaching sustainable crafts,
  photography, social media, website, and online content,
  brainstorming ideas and developing future projects.
  
  During rainy or colder days, we often focus on indoor and online activities such as improving our website, creating content, planning projects, and sharing ideas together.
  
  We care deeply about the well-being of our volunteers and try to create a healthy, respectful, and supportive environment. We avoid excessive physical work.
  We enjoy when we are doing something together, nobody is in rush, everyone can stop at any time to take a rest, important is to make it interesting, to learn something new and spend a good time.
  
  More than temporary help, we are looking for people who genuinely resonate with our vision and would like to grow together with us. We are especially happy to connect with motivated and open-minded individuals who may wish to become long-term collaborators or future members of our association and community.
  
  For those who would like to join us and stay longer, we will help with registration and offer work in our bakery.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Bulgarian: Fluent
  Greek: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Russian: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  Dutch: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  We truly enjoy the language exchange that naturally happens when people from different countries come together.
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  Accommodation

  We offer a peaceful wooden eco-house surrounded by nature and beautiful mountain landscapes.
  
  Depending on the season and availability, volunteers stay in shared rooms with up to four sleeping places.
  
  HOUSE & HYGIENE RULES
  
  Outdoor shoes must be removed before entering the house and left in the designated area.
  
  Do not enter the house with dirty, muddy or heavily soiled feet. Clean or wash your feet before entering when necessary.
  
  Keep bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom/toilet, veranda and common areas clean and tidy.
  
  After using a shared area, clean up after yourself.
  
  During meals, use the serving utensils provided for shared food. Do not put hands or used personal utensils into shared dishes.
  
  Maintain basic table hygiene. Sneezing, coughing, and blowing your nose must be done hygienically and away from shared food and eating areas.
  
  Wash or clean your hands when appropriate, especially before handling food.
  
  Keep personal belongings in designated places and do not obstruct common areas.
  
  Every volunteer participates in the Saturday cleaning and maintenance of the accommodation.
  
  Appropriate clothing must be worn in all common areas of the house. Walking around the house in underwear, partially undressed or completely naked, is not permitted.
  
  Volunteers are expected to dress appropriately and respectfully in shared and common areas, especially when other volunteers, hosts, or guests are present.
  
  Food is also an essential part of our project and daily life. We run a sourdough bakery and regularly prepare fresh bread, homemade meals and healthy food made with care.
  
  Our lifestyle is connected with healthy ( no smoking and no alcohol ) vegetarian, and sustainable living, so we try to use good-quality ingredients, local products and traditional methods whenever available.
  
  Life here is not luxurious, but it is peaceful and deeply connected with nature. If you can't enjoy peace and nature and can't live without the city and Internet connection, then it will be difficult for you here, it takes a lot of responsibility to live sustainable, off grid, you need to know how to take care of everything, be here and now, be able to act in accordance with the circumstances and be prepared for any changes.
  
  We're looking for responsible people who, at a minimum, should be able to take care of their belongings and themselves, maintain cleanliness and order, and strive for more – we're always open to sharing experiences.
  
  Wake up at 7:00 and go to bed at 9:00. Please don't confuse us with a vacation resort. We're in survival mode, where everything is under construction. A piece of paper with written advice won't help here. We need real physical help. This is the first time in 5 years that we've decided to ask for help.

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  What else ...

  In your free time, you can enjoy the beautiful surrounding nature, forests, rivers, mountain walks, and nearby villages. The area is great for hiking, relaxing, photography, reading, meditation, exploring local culture, or simply disconnecting from busy city life and reconnecting with yourself and nature.
  
  Sometimes we also organize small social gatherings, music evenings, creative activities, or visits to local places and likeminded people.
  
  The nearest town is accessible by local transport or car, and depending on our schedule, we can sometimes help with transportation when possible.
  
  Our house rules are simple and based mainly on mutual respect, communication, and shared responsibility.
  
  Please respect the people, the space, and the surrounding nature.
  Help keep shared areas clean and organized after using them.
  We appreciate honesty, kindness, and open communication.
  Quiet hours and personal space should be respected so everyone can rest comfortably.
  Smoking, alcohol and the use of drugs are not welcome in our space.
  Everyone is encouraged to participate positively in community life and daily activities.
  If something feels uncomfortable or unclear, we prefer direct and respectful communication instead of misunderstandings.
  
  We are not looking for “perfect volunteers,” but for good-hearted people who want to share, learn, help, and grow together in a peaceful and supportive environment.

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have good parking place on our land in the mountains, for those who come with their own mobile home, there is a spring water and a possibility to build a shower with compost toilet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Rizko & Vaska (2 years)

  We have 2 cats living free outside.

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