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Grow and build with us by the Dev River in Nandora, Central India

  • Last activity : 16 Jun 2025

Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: at least a week

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    CURRENT PROJECTS
    This monsoon we are working on:
    - planting seeds and saplings
    - digging trenches to prevent erosion
    - building few small machaans for creepers
    - weeding

    ABOUT US
    Alongside Dev river, bordering acres of jungle, which is the buffer zone to Kanha National Park, in the quaint village of Nandora, there are 20 households living mostly off the land, primarily cultivating paddy.

    Just outside the village, right by the banks of river dev, Harshit found a place to settle down and grow roots in 2019. He began with building a little mud house with the help of people from nearby villages and has continued to build various experimental structures, using locally available materials.

    Harshits' parents, who are also committed to ecological living have moved in and help tend to the land.

    Across the river, Neha is in the beginning stages of setting up a tree nursery and building a small house

    INVITATION
    If you are interested in experiencing rural life in a rustic village, you could live with us and lend us a hand in our day to day activities.
    We would need help in our building projects and in our gardens.
    The villagers would also appreciate a hand in their many tasks and are always willing to share their knowledge and wisdom with all of us.

    Our approach is inspired by the culture and the wisdom of the Adivasi people living around Central India, we have collaborated with them on our building projects and hope to be a meeting ground for people from everywhere.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Art Projects
    Language practice
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Interests

    Interests

    Events & social
    Art & design
    Outdoor activities
    Sustainability
    Pets
    Farming
    Culture
    Plant care
    Gardening
    DIY & crafts
    Cooking & food
    Carpentry
    Architecture
    Animals
    Nature
    Hiking
    Camping
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    The people in the village are extremely skilled and are also friendly, travelers benefit from the access to conversations with people living simple lives. To live in the tribal belt of India is a chance to gain insight into what it takes to live using only what is available in the natural surrounding. In the past we have learnt from them how to make things such as quilts, beds, brooms, to fermented beverages and there is no end to what one could learn here.

  • Help

    Help

    Apart from helping in the garden and in the routine tasks of chopping wood and carrying water, we welcome all effort at experimenting with making things using locally available material, which we are lucky to have an abundance of.

    We dream of trying out new techniques to build structures, so anything that anyone may want to try out will be conducive to our general project. We're not out to get it right, we're more keen to explore the process and enjoy making and doing things, making do with what we have.
    We are up to ideate and discuss all possibilities.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Hindi: Fluent

    This host offers a language exchange
    We hope to engage with the language that the Gonds, the Baigas, the Bhils, and other tribes that live in our surrounding area speak.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Volunteers may live with Harshit and his parents. They may also pitch tents anywhere, if they like.

    Important to note that as of now, we don't have a toilet, we take a little shovel and a mug of water and find a well hidden spot out in nature.
    We bathe in the river.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    With your time off, you can walk to the village and chat with the ammas and the dadas there, or you can wander into the jungle or spend some time by the water, or in the water, you can go fishing, you can roll in the sand, collect stones, climb up trees, watch the birds and the insects, you can explore the space, explore yourself.
    If you have a bike, you can go to villages that are further away and find people who are practicing crafts that interestsyou.

    Away from the village, Kirnapur is a well-developed major town that is closest to us. Nearby cities are Balaghat and Gondia.
    Nandora is a remote village and doesn't have access to public transportation, but we'll help find ways to get to where you want to go.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    You may chose to bring your vehicle but do discuss it with us before you set out as the condition of the road that leads up to our land varies according to the seasons.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    everybody is welcome as long as they don't threaten our furry and feathered friends.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

Host ref number: 643535273651

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