India
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29/11/2021
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Hello!
Our project is a farmstay and inspiration centre at the start of its journey :). It's all about creating a place where internationals and locals can venture new ways for simple, creative, sustainable and abundant life. We have a longterm vision to help the position of community here as we go, providing a place of exchange, growth, skills, work and learning. Think of programs like: organic farming, homestay running, empowering education for youth, waste management, local craftmenship activities like woodwork/tailoring, and a centre for yoga/music/arts. Our goal is to be a self reliant/self sustaining project one day.
We are located in the lap of the Himalayas 3 hours ride from Rishikesh in a mountain town called Pauri. On a clear day, layers of mountains and The Himalayas greet us from our garden. Karan (India) and I (Lieke from Netherlands) started the project 5 months ago and we have done crowdfunding and some changes (foundations, terrace rebuild, electricity). Our main aim now is to get the homestay up and running. We also started tuitions for a few children. In Pauri there are not many tourist facilities nor NGO's, so it's special to start here.
We welcome workawayers from November 2021 onwards.
Love,
Karan and Lieke
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
Exchange with the culture here is all around, since we have a Nepalese family living nextdoor with whom we collaborate and share the garden for now. 6 days a week we teach children of the neighborhood from 5-6PM. It's a great and fun experience which you can choose to be engaged with. Karan comes from Pauri though he also lived in other places of India. His English is fluent. I (Lieke) come from The Netherlands, I have lived, travelled and worked in different countries and also my English is fluent. Happy to share ideas and conversations!
We are looking for people to help us with different things, such as:
- Woodwork: if you are an enthousiastic carpenter you can help out a lot! Pick your project: kitchen interiors / making furniture (beds / couch / dining area) renovating some windows and doors. We have the basic woodworking tools and machines like circular saw, jigsaw, orbital sander, drill driver, handsaws, clamps, hammer. If needed we can purchase any other tools necessary. You are welcome to think along with designs and efficient use of the rooms. We'd love to have a homestay with handcrafted wooden furniture that can inspire others.
- Reconstructing balconies: also woodworking. Quite a big project so you must be up for it:).
- Helping hands for paint removal outdoors and indoors. Also we'll oil the wooden ceilings and plaster/paint the interiors using eco-friendly ways. If you know anything about it or want to learn, explore and do here: very welcome!
- Organic garden design: it would be great to have someone with permaculture/gardening experience who can help us design the garden. Where does everything go? Greenhouse/path and steps/flowers/herbs/sitting/etc. Surrounding the house are terraces up and down, which can be used for organic farming. We have walnut, pear, orange and lemon trees. It's 1-1.5 acre so it's not very big, but it offers potential to create something beautiful and abundant! One challenge which you can think along with: monkeys are around and so many veggies and fruits need to grow in enclosed systems like greenhouses or garden netting. We want to show that it is possible to have a very productive and abundant garden despite size and monkeys. We also have a gardener at the moment who can help out executing your plans.
- Giving tuitions: every afternoon 5-6 PM we give tuitions to some children (11-18 years old). It's a very free program: every day is different. We teach English and sometimes subjects about nature/sustainability in an interactive way, but also do things like painting pebbles, playing games, etc. Our main focus is to support them in growing confidence about their own qualities and show them a variety of activities to be engaged in. We want to provide chances to learn through doing. You can come up with nice lessons for them: from yoga to geography. They will be happy to meet you!
- Photographing, videographing, creating social media content, and so on. It would be helpful if you come with your own camera. Any ideas welcome!
If you have any other skills and you feel like staying and sharing, please let us know and we can see if there are any possibilities!
We invite people that share a vision of a more sustainable world and who'd like to bring in eco friendly ideas. Besides this we want to share and enjoy together with you a beautiful process of collaboration and doing good. We'd love to co-create this place with others.
English: Fluent
Hindi: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
Important for now is that you are open to more basic living conditions since not all amenities (like running water) are yet available. Working on it! Safe drinking water, internet and electricity are available. We heat up water for a bath. All cooking facilities are available and dishwashing is done by our lovely didi Krishna every day. We will ensure you have a comfortable mattress and your private room. The view, people, chicken and surroundings make up a lot for the basics! Personally I have gained a lot of experience and confidence knowing that I can be happy living more basic, so it could be very enriching depending on who you are :).
Since Karan is Indian and I am Dutch, we eat a mixture of Indian and western dishes. We cook both, and love everyone who feels like to bring in their recepies and food culture as well!
Best is perhaps to reach us by taxi from Dehradun or Rishikesh. We may be able to help you with it if you let us know. In your leisure time here, you can have a village or nature walk, explore the mountain roads and other villages by scooter, visit a quiet temple or the market at Pauri, play with the children, read a book, draw or paint something, cook if you like, chat with us.. There are vegetable and market shops just down the road.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
We have a relative fast and stable internet connection through our phones. We can always arrange an Indian simcard for you if you want to be connected through 4G.
More than two
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
