Call for volunteers: ESC team – summer 2023

We are looking for 5 volunteers from Kosovo to join our volunteering team from 3rd until 22nd of August!

This summer we will build a model for animal shelters, made of natural materials, and a combination of traditional techniques.

This volunteering team involves three organizations (GAIA Kosovo, Hors Pistes from France, VILLA from Germany) and 15 enthusiastic volunteers. Last year, we organised a similar ESC team, during which we worked on ‘smaller’ projects, based on carpentry, natural building and permaculture. This year, we will make a model for an animal house with timber framing techniques and learn about natural building.

There will be many different learning opportunities:

basics of carpentry
traditional crafts
earth and straw insulation
earthen plaster
green roof
basics of permaculture

During this ESC volunteering team the main activities will be around natural building, theoretical and practical sessions on sustainable housing from foundations to roofs.

Basically the volunteers will be involved in the following tasks:

Construction of a half-timbered structure for animals
Get familiar with basic woodworking and carpentry with hand-tools
Usage of a mixture of straw and earth as insulation infill
Preparing and testing different mixes of plaster from earth, straw and sand
Collecting wild plants for planting on green roof
Learning about theory of Natural building
Learning and practicing Safety on working site and with tools

Accommodation

The volunteers will stay in a house in Bozevce. The house has 4 rooms, small kitchen, one shower and outdoor composting toilet. Volunteers should bring their sleeping bags. There are several other composting toilets and outdoor showers as well. Cooking and cleaning will be done in teams and food will be vegetarian, seasonal, local, healthy, and very tasty.

Lifestyle is sustainable, simple, and without much technology and virtual connections.

Learning possibilities

Participants will have plenty of possibilities to learn about sustainable living, permaculture, natural building and nature-related topics. Since this project is about building naturally and working with wood, the volunteers will specifically learn about:

History of natural building and different techniques
How to use basic tools
How to prepare and test earthen plasters for houses
Basics of permaculture thinking
How to cook vegetarian meals for big groups
How to live and share resources with others
Probably much more…

Requirements for participation in this ESC project

This project is open for all young people from Kosovo, but candidates from rural areas will have a small advantage. There are only a few specific requirements:

To be a resident of Kosovo (for other 2 countries, you should contact sending organisations listed below);
To be older than 18 and younger than 31;
To be interested in environmental topics, natural building, permaculture, and similar;
To be willing to live with others, share with others and care about the others;
No previous experience is needed but on contrary… if you had fewer opportunities for participating in international activities, that would be an advantage;
Basic English is welcome, but not necessary… we will find a way to communicate 🙂.

Volunteers should be OK with the following conditions:

Simple and sustainable living principles (compost toilet, saving water, electricity and other resources)
Vegetarian/Vegan and healthy food
Sharing space with other volunteers
Teamwork and physical work
Presence of animals such as dogs, cats, chickens etc.

Apply here: https://forms.gle/37FCvCXst32JUgEW8

Deadline for applications, 20th of June 2023!

Please apply only if you are interested, willing to take part and available. This is not just a summer camp or an opportunity for vacation, but a project which is being prepared by a group of people which care about it and invest a lot of time and energy in providing such volunteering opportunties for young people.

Contacts of sending organizations: