Help at an organic Garden of our community in Kyrenia, North Cyprus

  • Favourited 744 times
  • Last activity: 25 Jun 2022

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: No minimum

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    *If you're a Smoker, please do NOT apply*

    **Please read our ENTIRE PROFILE**

    Our Garden is located in Northern Cyprus. We are a sponsored nonprofit garden based off Permaculture Principles which is located in Girne (aka Kyrenia). We organically grow a wide variety of food plants. We have citrus and olive trees throughout the property. We also have chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. None of the animals live indoors.

    Our Garden has a base community of a few people, some living on the property and some with a less active role.
    We have 2 managers who live on the farm: Ihsan and Aleksandra. Another key member is Dervis, who lives in nearby Lapta.
    Our Garden also consists of a revolving group of International Volunteers from all over the World.

    We have a lot of On-Going Projects in addition to our Garden.

    We have recently built our first Aquaponics sytem in order to produce our organic fish and vegetables in an integrated-system. This first system is a trial and we hope to improve and expand it over time. We are also breeding meal worms.

    Although management guide the project and have a roadmap for future projects, some of our best ideas originate from volunteer suggestions.
    Many Volunteers often have great insight and are a valuable resource, so we encourage input and idea sharing.

    Previously Ray (RayChel) was heading this project but she has gone to the United States to pursue other projects and only returns to Cyprus periodically.

    Throughout the year, we are looking for people to come to help us with everyday work in the Garden & help us develop our goals. This would mean that duties could change on a daily/weekly basis.

    We prefer long-term Volunteers, one month minimum is ideal as it takes time to acclimate and learn, which occupies the first week or two.

    Most Foreigners can stay up to 3 months without a visa, but the rules are different for Citizens of Specific Countries sometimes ranging from 15-30 days.

    A few reviews mention that we are NOT completely Self-sustainable. Just a Note, that isn't even a possibily for a garden as young as ours... as it takes years (10-15 years-at least) to achieve. And even then, most self-sustaining communities still need to buy a large percentage of their food from external sources. Please note, our project only started in that direction in 2013.

    However Our Goal towards being Self-reliant is being realized with each day, and each contribution...

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    General Maintenance
    Farmstay help
    Help with Eco Projects
    Help around the house
    Animal Care
    Art Projects
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Help

    Help

    Our Garden/Farm is expanding, so duties could change on a daily/weekly basis which range from animal care, seed germination, planting, pruning, harvesting, natural pest control, watering, weeding, soil preparation, composting, etc.

    ***********
    *This is a hands-on experience, so IF you're afraid of INSECTS or digging in DIRT, this will NOT be a good fit for you.*

    **Working in a Garden is hard work! If you are just looking for a place to Holiday, there will be problems. Please only apply if you are serious about our mission.**

    ***We NEED volunteers who are truly interested in sustainability and in helping to contribute towards the future of our Project. We expect a good attitude and work ethic and reward our volunteers with the opportunty to learn our approach.***
    *********

    Volunteers may also use their exchange hours towards non-gardening activities, such as:
    ---Yoga (willing to teach/inspire)
    ---Vegetarian/Vegan cooking with our Vegetables
    ---House Keeping
    **However, you will still need to participate in other garden tasks as well...


    It's very important that you let us know what limitations you have or chores you feel could be below you. We've had few volunteers who were VERY picky and only wanted to work on their own art projects. We encourage art, but we also ask that you respect our goals and help contribute on prearranged working dates as you also have the time and space to pursue that.

    We also ask that you are respectful to everyone one working here and respect the rules of the house:
    ---KEEP TIDY-------------------
    ---WASH your DISHES---------
    ---CLEAN a table AFTER COOKING-----
    ---NO SHOES AND ANIMALS in the HOUSE---

    You must work the hours we agree to each week, not showing up will not be tolerated and volunteers that need babysitting will be asked to LEAVE. We have has a few bad experiences with volunteers, but 95% have been wonderful!

    We offer some flexibility with creating your own schedule- WITHIN REASON. Each sunday we plan out what you will be doing and when for the following week, we try to accommodate which days you want off and how you'd like to manage your hours.
    There will be times that we need you for certain hours.

    We currently have 2 permanent managers working (long-term volunteer/employees) with us. Ihsan is a hard-working young man from Pakistan who keeps the farm flowing and our animal care-taker . Aleksandra is from russia and originally came as a volunteer, but has now taken a more permanent role at the Garden. Dervis is a local Turkish student who lives in Lapta, a nearby city. Dervis has a lot of knowledge about local plants and traditional uses.

    The number of Volunteers we have fluctuates week to week, from 1-6 people. We can house up to 12 people at the moment. We are in the process of adding more accommodation.

    Volunteers to go on excursions in their free-time and are encouraged to enjoy the towns, local life, historical sites, and nature areas.

    There are lots of things to do. We are less than 1 km from the Sea. And only a few kilometers from sandy beaches. We are located in town and it is very easy to get around by walking or bus.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Turkish: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    In exchange for volunteer work, we will provide:
    -Housing (bed, pillows, sheets, clothes rack)
    -Food (own-grown, minimal budget for foods)
    -New Experiences
    Please understand that all amenities are very basic

    We have a 2 bedroom house on the farm which has 8 beds. We have two rooms reserved for couples and also have a few spacious tents, which can be used by our volunteers, but only during the summer months.

    We have a COMPOST TOILET, outdoor shower, and small sauna. We also have an outdoor kitchen.

    Cooking on the Farm is exclusively Vegetarian/Vegan.
    We have chickens and ducks at the Farm, so eggs are also available.
    You are encouraged to experiment in cooking vegetarian food with our other Volunteers.
    Our agreement is 30 working hours a week in exchange for room and board.

    We thought we should mention that We provide cooking utensils:
    serving bowls, pots, pans, oven, stove top, juicer, blender, solar dehydrator, cutting knifes, etc.
    ****But We are now asking that our new volunteers bring with them:
    --Clothes comfortable for working and relaxing in
    ---Gloves for Gardening
    ----One Coffee Mug or Bowl for soup/coffee/tea marked with your initials.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    FAQs

    -Are the rooms private?-
    We have two "Singles" Room.
    One for Males and One for Females, each have 4 beds.
    Volunteer's stays could overlap, so you could be in the room alone, or have 3 others sharing the room with you.
    Both rooms are quite large, so even at full capacity there will be space for your things.
    Note: We have two rooms allotted for couples. We are in the process of adding more accommodation and will soon have more rooms available.
    
    -How many people are on the farm?-
    We usually have anywhere from 2-8 volunteers at a time. At the moment we can house up to 10+ people.
    
    -What is the Visa Situation?-
    The rules are different for Citizens of Specific Countries.
    Upon arrival at TRNC, you will receive a free Visitor Visas which can range anywhere from 15-30 days to 3 months. Please see the end for more information.
    
    -Is there Internet?-
    YES, wifi

    -Are there Animals?-
    On the farm, yes. We have chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. None live inside.
    
    -What are the rules on Smoking?-
    Smoking is prohibited on the farm.
    If you are a social smoker who might smoke a cigarette while at a bar, that's not a problem, because it does not effect the farm. But if you are a day smoker, this will be a problem.

    -What are the rules on Alcohol?-
    Volunteers are prohibited from drinking alcohol on our property except for special occasions. This is because we've encountered a variety of problems that result from over-indulgence.
    Volunteers sometimes go to bars in the evenings- This is not a problem as long as they are respectful and able to do their tasks the following day.
    
    ​*Other things to Note:

    -It's very important that you let me know what limitations you have or chores you feel could be below you. Or any limitations you may have that would prevent you from participating in garden tasks.
    We WILL ask VOLUNTEERS to leave early if they are disrespectful, negative, untidy, and/or not contributing enough.
    
    *Transportation & Getting Here:
    -Will we pick you up?-
    We previously offered airport pick-up from Ercan & Larnaca airport, but because of a few volunteer pick-up problems, we have to decided to longer offer that service.
    It is easy to take public transportation from all three airports in Cyprus to arrive here. Once you book tickets, we can forward all needed resources regarding public transportation. (Do Note, Ercan is the Easiest Airport).
    We are located in centre and it is very easy to get around by walking or bus.
    
    *About Cyprus*

    Cyprus was once an English Colony, but is now a divided island with two republics:
    -The Republic of Cyprus: Greek-speaking & using EURO as currency.
    -The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: Turkish-speaking & using TURKISH LIRA as currency.

    TRNC or KKTC are often used in place of "The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" & "Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti" - which is the Turkish version of the same name.

    The only airport in TRNC is Ercan. You do not need a visa to enter TRNC (unless you're Nigerian or Armenian), they give visitor visas upon arrival. If you enter Cyprus through Larnaca or Paphos, you are subject to their rules of entry for the Republic of Cyprus. You are subject to their rules of your stay, even after you cross the border into TRNC, whose rules you'll also be under.

  • 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

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    5 hours a day 5 days a week

Host ref number: 918193499482

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