Almora, India help create an organic holistic environment in the Himalaya

Details

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  Description

  We are living a project dedicated as a model for holistic sustainable living in the villages of the Himalaya, incorporating agriculture, biodiversity, holistic technologies, livelihood projects, healthy nutrition and lifestyle, holistic know how and traditional knowledge systems, natural healing and education, culture and creativity.
  
  We want people to come and stay in the Himalaya to help initiate positive changes in the environment and in the community.
  
  We are working on ways to rejuvenate damaged land and benefit the Himalaya for a sustainable future. Our concerns include local, organic and bio-diverse farming; re-forestation; the preservation of traditional crops and the environment; eco- education; and strengthened local communities.
  
  We operate on a volunteer basis - an equal exchange of energy; we ask for creative involvement, motivation and initiative.
  
  To give an additional orientation, we are inspired by the work and philosophy of Osho, J.Krishnamurti, E.F.Schumacher, Mahatma Ghandi, Masanobu Fukuoka, Robert Hart, Bill Mollison, Wilhelm Reich, V. Schauberger among others.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Interests

  

  Writing

  

  Photography

  

  Gardening

  

  Animals

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Architecture

  

  Art & design

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Help

  We are building a site to encourage and inspire sustainable ways of farming and living with the earth.
  
  We welcome people to contribute their skills to the development, design and implementation of ideas.
  
  The site itself hopes to fulfill a diversity of ecological purposes. It should provide food for the people who are staying here, act as a model for organic farming methods, and can be utilized for experimenting with new methods of holistic farming, bio-diversity and environment care.
  
  We hope to be an educational centre for the exchange of ideas to do with earth care, organic farming, permaculture, natural and holistic farming, etc. Anyone with experience in these areas is very welcome. We encourage observations, new ideas, and the contributions of open-minded people.
  
  We currently have seedlings, vegetable beds, herbs and fruit trees, and we are planning a tree nursery. We are also experimenting on the site with seed balls as a potential reforestation tool in the area. There are opportunities for eco-construction, rainwater collection, cooking, gardening, developing communal spaces, local product development, and interaction with the local people. There is also a local family-run school keen for the involvement of English-speaking volunteers.
  
  We have an organic food and cosmetics factory on site for which we source herbs and herbal teas, seasonings, grains and pulses from Himalayan organic farmers. We provide a market for small scale local farmers to sustain traditional lifestyles, create local income, prevent migration to cities, and help to care for the earth, maintaining bio-diversity, eliminating chemical pesticides, and preserving traditional crops through organic farming methods. The factory employs local women for processing and packing. There is space for people to get involved with the developments in organic herbal teas, grains, and cosmetics if they wish.
  
  Local foods are a potential area in which to get involved; Working with the cook and the local people to share ideas and techniques in cooking and growing is a key aspect of our project. We want to develop some of the local organic produce such as millet, amaranth, corn, soya beans, rosehips, chives, etc. We aspire to spark interest in local foods and create a consuming market for the organic produce from small-scale farms, thus reconnecting the local people with healthy and traditional foods.
  
  We also work on building connections with organic farmers in the remote Himalaya. By adopting villages, we can communicate organic farming methods, provide technologies, and offer organic farmers a market to supply us with their produce. These projects are open to initiation and participation from volunteers. This will work towards supporting sustainable agriculture in the Himalaya; enhancing the standard of living in remote villages; preserving traditional communities and preventing migration. In this context, the SOS Organics site is a model and inspiration for the possibilities of organic methods, and a base camp for people wishing to connect with an external project site.
  
  We welcome anyone with a particular knowledge of or interest in plants, farming, and earth care. This is an evolving project and we are always open to new ideas.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Hindi: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  There is room here for a number of people to be volunteering at a time, with space to camp (we can provide tents if required) and rooms in the separate farmhouse nearby. There are communal bathrooms and toilets on site. We are vegetarians but otherwise fairly flexible in terms of diet. We are two people, two dogs, a cat and her kittens, plus whoever else is staying. Languages spoken are English, Hindi, and German. The absolute minimum stay is one month, but ideally up to a year -- it takes at least a couple of weeks to figure out how to be useful here, how things work, and what you can give to the project. We say this because your time here will be far more fulfilling if you stay for long enough to see developments. You can think beforehand about ways you would like to contribute here, and areas where you might enjoy working, as this will ease the flow once you arrive. This is a dynamic and evolving project: There are areas in which we are already working and appreciate new input and enthusiasm, but we are also welcoming new ideas and new projects which could be initiated here. Routinely Monday to Saturday are working days, with the factory open from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm; there’s a one hour break between 1 and 2 pm. You are welcome to follow your own initiatives during these hours, but we like to maintain a productive atmosphere whilst appreciating that individuals have different needs and ways of working. If you intend to come, please call in advance to discuss when you plan to arrive.

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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

  Enough space for Parking

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We love animals, but do let us know in advance — we’ll check if it’s feasible to host your pet during your stay.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Bhalu and Bagheera (4 years)

  Huge cuddly beasts who make this place lively!

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