Join us for family and community life in Southern Sicily, Italy

Details

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  Description

  Ciao! We are Carmelo and Jenny, a Sicilian-English couple with our young son Francesco.
  We live in Punta Braccetto, a small seaside village in south-eastern Sicily, while most of our winter projects take place at our countryside property about a 5 minute drive away.
  Our countryside property is made up of a few independent houses surrounded by land, trees and outdoor spaces.
  Couples, friends and small groups are particularly welcome.
  We will be working on projects together, sharing meals or activities and organising things, but Workawayers will also have a good degree of independence and will be sharing the house and daily life with the other volunteers.
  We also have a friendly dog and a donkey.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Babysitting and creative play

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Technology

  

  Farming

  

  History

  

  Gardening

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Nature

  

  Cycling
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  This is a good opportunity to experience south-eastern Sicily outside the tourist season, when life is much slower and more local.
  Carmelo is Sicilian and Jenny is English, so English and Italian are both part of our everyday family life. We are happy to share languages, food and local knowledge, and you will have the opportunity to experience both countryside and coastal life.
  The projects themselves can also be a learning experience. Depending on what is happening during your stay, you may work alongside our handyman and learn practical woodworking, gardening and maintenance skills, or take part in planning and creating something from scratch.
  We would also like the winter group to have a social side. We may organise shared dinners, pizza or movie nights, walks, visits and other optional activities.
  At the same time, everyone should have enough independence to explore Sicily or simply enjoy their own time.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  We are looking for 3–4 Workawayers from mid-October onwards, ideally for stays of at least one month.
  Winter is our project season and there is a fairly long list of things we would like to achieve. What you actually work on will depend on the weather, priorities and, most importantly, your skills and interests.
  You don't need to be a professional carpenter or builder. Practical experience is very welcome, but being willing to learn and comfortable using your hands is just as important.
  
  Some of our main projects, in our private home and garden, are:
  - bringing our old vegetable garden back to life, or at least preparing the soil and infrastructure for spring;
  - adding some wooden decking around the pool and a traditional cane pergola/shade structure;
  - some DIY projects inside the main countryside house, eg. a fitted storage/display wall, shelving along the staircase and a desk integrated into the mezzanine railing;
  - if we get far enough, starting a winter garden;
  - cataloguing, photographing and reorganising books, paintings, furniture, tools and other objects, using a simple app that we will provide;
  
  Because there are several of us, we don't expect everybody to do the same thing.
  We also have a 1 and a half yo child and would appreciate occasional help with babysitting and creative play.
  This is not an everyday responsibility and we are not looking for a nanny, but someone who genuinely enjoys being around small children would be particularly welcome.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Italian: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  The countryside houses has several sleeping areas, a kitchen, bathrooms and plenty of indoor and outdoor communal space. It is particularly suited to a small group sharing a house together.
  Depending on how many people are staying at the same time, we will try to organise the accommodation sensibly according to the group.

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  What else ...

  The countryside house is peaceful and surrounded by nature, but this also means that having your own transport is useful. We can help with lifts, bycicles and coordinate transport when possible.
  Santa Croce Camerina is around a 10-minute drive away for supermarkets, pharmacies and other everyday needs.
  There is some public transport in the area, but a car makes exploring south-eastern Sicily much easier. Ragusa, Modica, Scicli and the coast are all within reach for day trips.
  We are especially interested in people who enjoy living as part of a small group, taking some initiative and contributing to a shared project. Couples and groups of friends are very welcome.
  When you contact us, please tell us a little about your practical skills, what kind of projects you enjoy, when you could arrive and how long you would like to stay.

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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

  We can offer 250mbps wifi and can arrange a working space.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Plenty of space!

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Yes, if they fit with my pets. Let's talk about it

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Agador, donkey (4 years)

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