Spain
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12/07/2022
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My name is Javi and together with my wife Carol and our 2 daughters (7 and 13 years old) we decided to leave our life in the city to start a repopulation project in a small Galician village (Meaus / Ourense).
The main motivation that pushed us to change our way of life was the unsustainable pace of living in a big city (Barcelona). Over the years we have perceived how the village where my ancestors lived was disappearing and we decided to take action to save one of many villages destined to disappear in rural areas. Another great motivation was to give my daughters the opportunity to grow up in nature, surrounded by green areas and animals.
Javi (43), I was born in Barcelona and lived there all my life until a few days before the pandemic. There I worked in the tourism sector and undertook several projects and ideas until turning them into my business ..
Carol (41 years old), also born in Barcelona and her origins are from an area of Galicia near where we live carrying on our long-term project. She is a psychologist and speech therapist.
Iria (13) and Noa (7), were born in Barcelona and are very happy with the life change we have made. One studies in the second grade and the other in the seventh grade.
Here we dedicate ourselves to the care of the animals on our farm, the cultivation of our small vegetable garden and the management of a rural house.
Our project, perhaps too ambitious, is to recover the life that the village once had, so we are creating a community of people who can live in the village for an indefinite stay. With the possibility of being able to settle in the village and start a new life here.
In the village there are people from many different countries (Ukraine, Italy, Switzerland) beside the local population.
Help with Eco Projects
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
General Maintenance
The people interested in this project will be able to learn and be part of a restocking project in the rural world. During your stay you will be able to enjoy the customs of the Galician area and discover the unique history that surrounds the area (Couto Mixto). Being an international project, participants will be able to learn about the culture of other countries and areas. The goal is to create a cooperative society where we can all learn from each other.
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
We need two volunteers to help us with our project:
- someone who can help us take care of the foods we will plant. We would like to start practicing permaculture, therefore we would need a volunteer who knows how to take care of a vegetable garden. Experience in how to take care of animals is a plus. Our objective is to provide all the vegetables which are necessary in the restaurant of the village and to sell, once a week, the vegatbles to the locals.
- someone who can help us renovating the old stables used for animals in the village. Our objective is to convert these abandoned spaces into homes or workplaces, where it will be possible to start different types of activities, like a co-working space.
The most we could ask for is a mutual collaboration between the volunteers when and if necessary.
Languages spoken
Catalan: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
English: Intermediate
Galician: Intermediate
Italian: Intermediate
Portuguese: Intermediate
This host offers a language exchange
Spanish - native
English - intermediate
Italian - intermediate
Portuguese - intermediate
Catalan and Gallego :)
The accommodation where volunteers will be located is a house with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room and an outdoor patio. The house will be shared with other people who are working on the project. Wi-fi is included.
It is a typical town house, appropriately renovated about 20 years ago. It has no luxury, but it satisfies every need.
Food for breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided according to the volunteers needs and diets. A weekly trip to the closest city will allow to buy everything necessary from the supermarket. Local products like eggs, chicken and vegetables will be always at the volunteers disposal.
The surrounding land will also be available to volunteers to grow food for their own use and consumption.
The area where the town is located is surrounded by nature and mountains. It is a place with a unique history. There are many paths where you can walk and enjoy an almost untouched environment. Next to the village there is a river where you can swim.
In terms of transport, there is a bus that once a day makes the Meaus-Xinzo de Limia route, which is the city where all the necessary services are located.
Regardless, once a week a cartrip will be organized to Xinzo to buy all the necessary.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Free parking spots
All animals are welcome
Two
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
