Join us recreating life in a rural area near the Camino de Santiago in Galicia, Spain

Infos

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  Description

  ◤ INTRO. In the midst of a natural landscape, we are surrounded by old forests, meadows and streams. Here we are developing a free space that gives us room for the good things. For us, this means this place should become "free from" many economic, political, social and ideological conditions, and at the same time should be "free for" a new culture, the development of potential and positive goals.
  
  In a little village, one old farm with a constructed area of 750 sqm and a great land area of 12ha, distributed in the valley which is available for us to develop and to experiment on.
  
  
  ◤ INTENTION. WHY? With this Project we are creating a Work- and Research-Space for development and experimentation (organized as an NGO). So we consider ourselfs as pioneers, trying to build a regenerative perspective in this rural area. Here we want to explore a life that is oriented towards common good. Meanwhile we get prepared with the necessary practical knowhow at our place by solving practical obstacels and preparing the place for the future as well as to find the best ways to strengthen our degree of self-sufficiency. We are motivated in creating this project for common good and a base for much more to come. If you are also motivated for this project, we hope to meet you joining us to realize it.
  
  HOW? First of all, however, we need energetic support for a new start in the countryside and for shaping the place. In the following fields of activity we will focus initially on priorities (afterwards we have many smaller and larger projects in mind):
  
  I. Building & handicraft
  II. Energy & heating technique
  III. Water management & hygiene
  IV. Agriculture & vegetable gardening
  V. Forestry & fruit growing
  
  
  ◤ CONTEXT. So, recently we have taken on us the challenge to start a new rural life with a lot to do, but also quite some possibilities. Be aware of this fact and that we have set the focus for this season on the old, very rustic farmhouse, which was abandoned for some years. If you are joining us, you will join this challenge.
  
  Florian is fulltime around and is focusing on developing the project and NGO. Other projectmembers with different backgrounds and interests (Architecture, Psychology, Biology, Sociology and Social Work, Informatics, Permaculture) mostly from Germany and Spain, will at this stage only be ocasonally around. Generally we are around 5 people (either volunteers or projectmembers) present.
  
  We prefer a stay of 3 to 4 weeks so you have time to settle, know the place, people and become effective with your tasks. If you like it here and would consider staying for longer, let us talk about it. After we got to know each other a bit better we can decide.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Aide dans une ferme

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
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  Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

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  Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  ◤ PROJECT–DEVELOPMENT. In future this place will develop, also with your valuable help, into a place of education and learning, where we will work on different projects on important topics such as community building and psychology, resilience, transition, self-sufficiency and permaculture. So if you are interested in regenerative thinking, there could be some things to experience, discover and try out here. If we do not know ourselfs how to do something we will research it and find a solution. So you can find a field for experimentation, you can bring in and implement ideas, learn and practise handicraft skills, experience and shape the transformation of this place.
  
  To recreate life in the rural areas we are working on a lokal network with of other interesting projects and likeminded people of the bigger region. We build a synthesis, learn from each other and support each other when possible.
  
  People have become part of the network around the project, togather we can develop projects for a longer period. You are free to join us also for the long run.
  
  At our place we try, if possible, to be ressourcefull with the things we use. We try not to waste food, water and other materials. We also like to recycle things.
  
  
  ◤ PERSONAL–DEVELOPMENT. In our free time we can focus on self-development and self-improvement. We learn about and apply different methods for new habits. We want to improve our habits and work on dependencies. So some people like to stay away from processed foods, as well as refined sugars, coffee, alcohol, tabacco and drugs. We invite you to join our challenge, or your own challenges and try to build some new routines. Please do not bring alcohol or drugs.
  
  
  ◤ EXPEDITIONS. In free time there is a lot to discover and explore out here: We visit caves, abandoned places like villages as well as waterfalls and the surrounding nature walking and hiking. Together we like to discover the region, take you on old overgrown paths to special places inside nature. We welcome you to join us at a bonfire with a selfmade (nettle or elder) tea to have a interesting conversation on many different subjects or just share some time together, play the guitar or game of chess.

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  Aide

  ◤ ON A TYPICAL DAY we follow a rythm of 5 productive hours of work. 5 days a week. If we run over when a project needs to get done, we'll then do less the next day. Our schedule may vary according with other circumstances, but right now it looks roughly like this:
  
  08:00 – 09:00 Meet up & Breakfast
  09:00 – 14:00 Work
  14:00 – 15:00 Lunch
  15:00 – 16:00 Shared tasks: Dishes, organizing, Dry toilet, general cleaning
  20:00 – 21:00 Light Dinner, Dishes
  
  ⌦ Please note: Just like being at home, making breakfast, cooking food, plus doing the dishes and cleaning are generally not included in the 5 hours of work. If you are joining, you should be willing do your best in taking part in these Household-tasks (especially if there is no "Household-Volunteer" doing these jobs. See VI.)
  
  
  ◤ TO DO´S. In each area we ordered open tasks by priority:
  
  I. Building & handicraft
  1. tearing down of a wall and ceiling: done! ✓
  2. creating space and hosting capacities: done! ✓
  3. setting up a working area: done! ✓
  4. repairing some spots on the roof with natural stones on wood: done! ✓
  5. restauration or building new wooden windows: done! ✓
  6. building wooden doors
  7. insulating different parts of the building
  8. renovating of historic kitchen (lime paint walls, woodworking)
  9. building and fixing old natural stone walls
  
  II. Energy & heating technique
  1. repairing the old, traditional kitchen stove: done! ✓
  2. electric wiring and installing new sockets: done! ✓
  3. installing an electric water heater: done! ✓
  4. cleaning the old chimney: done! ✓
  5. installing a wood stove: done! ✓
  6. build a safe fireplace outside: done! ✓
  7. building a solaroven: done! ✓
  8. setting up a solar energie-system
  
  III. Water management & hygiene
  1. repairing old tupes in the house: done! ✓
  2. build compost toilets outside: done! ✓
  3. optimizing waterflow around the house: done! ✓
  4. building an outside shower: done! ✓
  5. installing water catchment systems
  
  IV. Agriculture & vegetable gardening
  1. build a compost: done! ✓
  2. clearing overgrown plots of land for agriculture use
  3. prepare level areas on uneven ground
  4. preparing, starting a vegetable garden (2000 sqm)
  
  V. Forestry & fruit growing
  1. preparing the shed for firewood: done! ✓
  2. preparing, chopping and stacking firewood
  3. removing blackberry bushes from the ancient fields and in the forest
  4. cleaning dead wood from trees and on the ground
  
  VI. Household
  1. preparing food: breakfast, lunch, dinner
  2. taking care of the kitchen (e.g. supplies, dishes) and common areas (organizing)
  3. cleaning of different areas, cleaning of bathroom
  4. handling and caring for compost and compost toilets
  5. clearing, improving the general state of the house and living areas
  
  For the progress of our projects we are also searching for some other skills:
  
  VII. Projectdevelopment
  1. Website development: done! ✓
  2. NGO development
  3. Preparing Projects
  4. Fundraising
  
  ⌦ Let us know in which tasks you would like to join. Do you have other special skills to support us?
  
  
  ◤ CHOOSE A ROLE. There is a lot of work to be done. We generally define roles with specific tasks, so we get more effective with what needs to be done and make sure we are not wasting our time. You also can mentally prepare yourself upfront. Choose a role that suits you:
  
  1. Join as a Builder (See I.) – generally three places available
  2. Join as a Landwork–Volunteer (See IV.) – two place available
  3. Join as a Forestwork–Volunteer (See V.) – two places available
  4. Join as a Household–Volunteer (See VI.) – one place available
  
  ⌦ With a lot of people around, we may have a specially dedicated support through a volunteer to help us with the household to make things more professional and support the rest in achieving project-priorities. So if you are the kind of person that would like to focus on this job, we would appreciate your support.
  
  ⌦ Let us know if you have another idea for a role or if you see a different way in supporting us.
  
  ⌦ If you have a driver's license and if you feel comfortable driving a car, let us know.

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  Langues parlées

  Allemand: Courant
  Anglais: Courant
  Espagnol: Courant
  Français: Débutant
  Hollandais: Débutant
  Portugais: Débutant

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  Hébergement

  ◤ PROJECT SITE. The old farmhouse is a rustic stone house with an intact historical wooden structure. This place was abandoned for a couple of years and was not renovated for a long time. The house is build into the mountain like a big earthship. We are connected to the electrical grid.
  
  ⌦ Especially in the beginning of this Project we think that sensitive people with a low level of sufficiency should reconsider participating. But if you are kind of robust and insensitive, not afraid of cobwebs and dust, when you like dirty hands, when you want to join us in improving things and if you consider yourself as a pioneer like we do, you are invited.
  
  
  ◤ CAPACITY. Depending on how many people are joining, we will adapt our capacity and arrange the space accordingly. For the warm season we have small and big shared tents for having a good stay at our camp. We kindly ask you to bring a good sleeping bag and a mat in the summertime with you, so we have options to organize. In the house we have shared sleepingrooms and a capacity for around 8 people.
  
  
  ◤ HYGIENE. We have running water in the house from our spring. We have warm water for showers. We use a dry toilet inside and an additional one outside. And at this moment we ask you to do your laundry by hand as the ancient washing machine ist not working properly.
  
  We adapt to nature and try to integrate ourselves as good as possible into the natural cycles. That means we use for example biodegradable soap or toothpaste (we do experiment in this area with selfmade products and products from nature) because all substances enter the ecosystem and have interactions with flora and fauna and hence with us humans. So we need to think about the products we use. They should be compatible with us and the environment.
  
  
  ◤ FOOD. We can provide different kinds of legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.) grains (like rice and pasta) together with regional and seasonal vegetables and fruits. We reduce our consumption of dairy products (and appropriate substitutes as well) towards a full plant based diet. We try to eat and buy those things that we can later produce ourselves or get locally. Hence to our meals we like to integrate wild, nutritional plants and mushrooms, if available. Meals can be simple, but will be healthy. – We generally eat together.
  
  We are preparing to have a vegetable garden to provide us with all kinds of regional vegetables, but at this point we have no vegetable output. So we barter with neigbours or we buy vegetables once a week at this point.
  
  ⌦ Please don´t bring alcohol, tabacco and other drugs. We prefer not to consum coffee or sugars, so we won't provide these things at our place. If you can not do without coffee or sugar, you can bring some for yourself.
  
  ⌦ We understand that you may need some personal products. Please buy them before you come over. The next place where you can buy food for your stay (see mobility) at our Project is in Samos (at 8km) and in Sarria (at 20km). In Sarria you can find a shop with organic products: "EcoEspazo Vitriol".
  
  
  ◤ GET PREPARED and bring the following items for your stay:
  
  1. All-weather clothing. Something that keeps you warm. As well as rain protection (especially in autumn, winter and spring time): e.g. rain jacket or waterproof poncho, waterproof shoes or wellington boots, head gear.
  In summertime do not forget to bring yourself clothes for swimming (nearby river) and sun protection.
  Please check weather and temperature conditions before arriving.
  2. Good outdoor shoes (like hiking boots)
  3. Suitable work clothes (e.g. long trousers)
  4. Warm sleeping bag
  5. Good mat (for if you are staying in a tent)
  6. Water bottle (we have springwater)
  7. Towel
  8. Soap, toothpaste, just like other products, should be biosphere-compatible
  9. Good head torch
  10. Earplugs
  11. Pen and notepad

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  Autres infos...

  ◤ WEATHER. People often do not expect that spain has such a great variety of biospheres and climates. Consider that we are in a mountain area at 925m in the northwest of spain with the altantic climate with warm summers, but colder and rainy winters and springtime. It can get really uncomfortable and the sleeping rooms are not heated. So please make sure, that you check the weather and temperature conditions before arriving for "Samos, Lugo" as not to be surprised and to bring suitable clothing and items for your stay.
  
  ⌦ In the colder seasons (from mid october to april) we use the old stove in the kitchen, but all other areas (including sleeping rooms and bathroom) in the building are not heated for now.
  
  
  ◤ NATURE. After we did our work in the house or in the woods you can relax in one of our hammocks in the forest or go for a dayhike on a weekend to a waterfall for a shower (recommendation for the hot summer days). In other occasions you can explore the nearby natural cave. In the valley we are surrounded by a chestnut forest with an interesting microclimate with some very old big trees, natural monuments in distinct habitats for fauna and flora. The area is decleared as „biosphere reserve" and „special area of conservation" (part of "Rede Natura 2000"). The region offers some great perspectives. Here you can still find a divers landscape with interesting natural spots, the rural unpoisoned side of this world.
  
  
  ◤ COMMUNICATION. To make communication easier please share your phonenumber with us. This way we can call you and speak personally.
  
  
  ◤ MOBILITY. Consider, if you do not come over with your own car, you are not flexible in buying personal things or travelling around, as the place is pretty remote. We recommend to buy personal stuff before you come to stay here. There is no public transport except a schoolbus from monday to friday only in the morning when we would be working.
  
  ⌦ If we go to Sarria by car to buy things for the progress of the Project, we prefer to be only two people in the car, because we tend to make the most of the drive to get construction materials etc. and probably need the space for this.
  
  
  ◤ TRAVEL ROUTE. Santiago de Compostela > Province of Lugo > Sarria > Samos > Project Site. Our Place is 8km away from Samos at the „Camino de Santiago" and 920m above sea level.
  
  1. In case you are entering the country by airplane you should look to the nearest Airport, which is „Aeropuerto de Santiago de Compostela“. It has some good connections inside of Europe. To find a cheap connections take a look at azair.com
  
  2.A From Santiago one option is the Bus UTE XG802. It goes once a day from „Santiago E.I“ at 11:00h, makes a stop at the Airport „Aeropuerto de Santiago de Compostela (SCQ)“ at 11:15h, makes a stop in „Sarria E.A.“ at 13:06h and makes a stop in „Samos (Renche)“ at 13:25h. There are of course other connections from the bigger cities like "Lugo" or "Monforte de Lemos" to Sarria E.A. or Samos, take a look at monbus.es/en and bus.gal
  
  2.B Depending from where you are coming, taking the train or bus (from "Lugo" or "Monforte de Lemos") to „Sarria E.I." may be an option, take a look at renfe.com/es/en
  
  2.C Consider doing part of the „Camino de Santiago“, Sarria and Samos are part of it and have a good hiking route and a lot of hostels nearby. From „Samos (Renche)“ to our place you could do a 8 kilometer hike up the mountain (500m up)
  
  3. For the last details to get from „Sarria“ or „Samos“ to our Project Site, please ask us before your planned arrival.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  At this moment we have a mobile-intenet-access. At our place you get (depending on provider) a good remote access: 3G ("movistar") or 4G ("orange"). We are working on more options.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  We will find a suitable place and space for a campervan

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  In case you have an animal with you, let us know.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  5 hours a day/ 5 days a week. Please make sure you are okay with that.

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