Help with gardening and experience the healing wonders of the Amazonian jungles in Coca, Ecuador

Details

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  Description

  We are a couple creating a raw vegan healing community in the place called ecuador and are now physically starting to build on a small section of our beautiful land. This community started as a concept and vision in 2014, and in 2022 we are now caretakers of a beautiful pristine land of almost 22 hectares in the early physical development stage located in the northern part of the Amazon jungle. It is primitive living here until we get to self-sustainability with our water, food, buildings, and electricity. Here we catch rainwater and have several pristine rivers, streams, cascades, waterfalls, and possibly springs as well. This is a place of spiritual healing for people who want to experience another way of living, to share life with other like-minded souls, and to heal away from cell and electricity towers, and wi-fi signals. We live by example and demonstrate that humans can live in harmony with all life. We are a nonprofit, non-competition, and non-governmental, organically producing and growing intentional community, forming a beautiful and unique community project.
  
  We do things differently here. We follow from our hearts a set of core values and birthrights, which people can read more about in our handbook, to learn more about us. In the communal areas, it is raw vegan, where people consume fruits and vegetables in their natural state. On our land, we don't consume anything that comes from nonhuman animals (the bodies or secretions of animals; their eggs, dairy, honey, etc.) or use nonhuman animals for growing food (manure, bloodmeal, feathermeal, bonemeal, etc.). This will give volunteers a chance to experience their incredible spiritual healing journey. We understand that everyone is at their own level and point in their journey, therefore, volunteers can cook vegan meals in our private cabin.
  
  One of our values is that our sacred place is clothing optional, and we encourage nudity and barefootism for maximum healing and spiritual growth. It is nothing shameful to be naked, as it is the natural way that wild free-roaming animals live. We don't judge or sexualize anyone; we respect the lives of everyone as the unique beautiful souls they are.
  
  This is a smoke-free, chemical-free, and scent-free place. Please be respectful of people, the environment, and the nonhuman animals, by not smoking or using chemicals of any type on our land.
  
  We are growing more than 60 different edible plants, with many of them exotic and local tropical fruits such as the Black Chocolate Sapote, Cupuaçu, Macambo, Cacao, Ice Cream Bean, Rambutan, Avocado, Morete/Aguaje, Paso/Iñaku, Rollinia mucosa, Salak/Snake fruit, Araza, Chempejack, Jackfruit, Guava, Amazonian Tree Grape, Mango, and more. We have harvested already some cherry tomatoes, bananas, Pineapples, Papayas, hot and sweet Peppers, Naranjilla, Naranjilla de Monte, Katuk, Cranberry Hibiscus, Ginger, Tumeric, Country Borage, Noni, Culantro, Lemon Grass, and we also have Pitón, Unguragua, Chontaduro, and soon we'll be harvesting also some Peanut Butter Fruit and peanuts. However, this is not enough to be completely self-sufficient, so we still buy almost all of our food from the markets in town.
  
  We share whatever extra vegan food we have, but our budget is tight at the moment and not much is bearing on the land. Food trucks come by our place once or twice weekly or one can usually get more variety and better prices on the weekends in town. We love that everyone joins in the fun of preparing meals and getting to know one another.
  
  We do our best to plant veganically (vegan organic) (not using anything that comes from animals, manure, bloodmeal, bonemeal, feathermeal, bloodmeal, fishmeal, etc., or use domestic animals on the land) and build as eco-sustainably as possible, and to do the least harm to the environment and the most overall good. We don't consume tobacco products, alcohol, drugs, or plant medicines here and respect Nature and people who are allergic or susceptible to chemicals and strong smells. Please don't bring chemical products here or anything that contains animal ingredients. If in doubt, please ask.
  
  We are situated in the northern Amazonian jungles of the place called Ecuador on a mountain that is not too deep or high (400 to 450 m in elevation). You can take baths in our pristine rivers and Nature hikes on the mountains to watch a variety of wild animals, ancestral trees, and other sacred plants.
  
  At the moment we live very minimalist and pristine. There is no internet or electricity, but that is great as you can disconnect from all the radiation. Internet is available in town that is not far away, about 30-40 minutes by bus. Comfortable tents with all bed sheets are provided for 1 to 2 people in a shared camping area with running water from the rain, but we're looking to convert our camping site into a small cabin with the help of experienced volunteers.
  
  We have a squatting compost toilet and rainwater barrel 500 L attached to the camping area and a 120 L rainwater barrel (in another area) for volunteers and others to use here. We live in a pure and pristine natural area with little to no contamination. There are clean and drinkable rivers to bathe in, in the area not too far from our land. Clothes can also be washed in town or here by hand.
  
  We say our gratitude and meditate daily, and volunteers are free to join in as they like. Sometimes we dance to different genres of music mostly electronic (btw we love Chicane), African, Latin, reggae, world ethnic, new age, and more. We have uplifting and beautiful conversations and discussions on a variety of topics. There is also the ability to play instruments or sing here. We have one harmonica and a ukulele; if you have any instruments, bring them along and join in the fun!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Our land is located close to loreto, orellana where people can buy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds. There is a lot to do and see in the area, including exploring waterfalls, Nature hikes, breathtaking views, experiencing indigenous cultures, caves, and natural parks with tour guides. As most people in ecuador don’t speak english, basic spanish skills are a benefit.
  
  One of us here speaks/writes/reads in native latin spanish, so in your free time you have the opportunity to learn the basics of the language. Otherwise, we both speak/write/read in english, and one of us speaks/reads/writes intermediate portuguese.
  
  We're very much into ecstatic and contact dancing. Let's try this if you like. We are a very spiritual people and community, gratitude prayers (non-religious) and meditation are important in our lives. We celebrate life often and enjoy ourselves here, even when we work on the land or do other community tasks.

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  Help

  As we are in the early stages of building our intentional community, with currently two founders as community members, living the farming life out in Nature, we are physically working on the land mostly digging holes, chopping and weeding and pulling out grass, hauling sand and sawdust, and other physical tasks as listed below. We don't monitor volunteer hours, but from our hearts we dedicate an honest time and effort to helping physically around the community, creating our food forest and building infrastructures.
  
  We prefer people with experience and knowledge in building construction (preferably eco natural building) and forestry: digging holes, weeding, watering certain plants when needed, planting seeds and transplanting trees, harvesting, pruning, mulching, clearing up and maintaining the paths, etc., but we're open to teaching as well. Many of the tasks require physical strength and energy, so if you don't have strength to dig holes, pull out weeds, and haul medium to large bags of sawdust or sand, sometimes in the hot humid sun, this is probably not the place for you. We are not here to babysit anyone, so if volunteers are just looking for a relaxing place to chill for free, look elsewhere.
  
  Other skills that would be beneficial: people who have experience with internet and connecting devices through ethernet cables instead of using wi-fi, web design, WordPress and PhpBB3 forums, 2D/3D CAD drawings, and drone footage, making and editing videos, online promotion, creating online content, and improving websites, etc.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  Portuguese: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  Learn better Spanish Learn better English
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  Accommodation

  We offer very comfortable accommodations such as a clean tent, foam mattress, and basic bedding items. We want people to feel very comfortable here. Feedback is always very much appreciated on how we can improve people's stay here.
  
  We have running water here and a squatting compost toilet.
  
  This is a rural forested area, so expect to get dirty and live more primitively.

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  What else ...

  We go to the nearest town at least once or twice weekly. We leave very early in the morning to catch a bus or taxi/hitch a ride and come in the afternoon with a taxi or with a bus (depends). We pay our own bus fair and taxi costs are split between people who use the service. Food is relatively inexpensive in ecuador compared to the united states, europe, canada, australia, and other western places. However, some exotic fruits, nuts, and specialty items can be a bit more costly. Much of the food here is local from ecuador, but a few items are from neighboring countries. Other specialty items can also be more expensive. You can bargain with many of the store sellers. There are just one or two bus services daily out from our land, but in town, many buses go to and come from many different places around ecuador, multiple times daily. Public transportation is pretty great here and very inexpensive. Taxi rides are also not too costly.
  
  Food
  Currently, we are on a tight budget to give volunteers food, but share whatever we can that we have in abundance. Food trucks come by our place once or twice weekly or you can usually get more variety and better pricing in town on the weekends.
  
  If you have any additional questions let us know and we can address them, and also send you more information about us.
  
  Can't wait to connect with you soon. 🤗😘❤️

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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

  Yes, we accept all people, but please be aware, that at the moment there is no internet, cell service, or electricity on the land. However, you can get internet in the nearest local town.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We don't have physical parking spaces but may be able to somehow accommodate people with automobiles. There is road access to our land, so there is always a way.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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