ESC volunteering team – Wood & earthen works

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

The ESC team will take place from 24th of May until 10th of June 2024 and include volunteers from Kosovo, Germany and France.

Bozevce is a tiny village community situated in the Eastern part of Kosovo, in the Municipality of Ranilug. The village used to be inhabited by 600 people, but nowadays it has been reduced to only around 30. It is hidden behind hills, between oak forest, rocks, streams and meadows, not polluted and without asphalt, but rich in biodiversity of mushrooms, animals and plants.

In Spring 2017, GAIA got involved in renovation of an abandoned property in Bozevce which was given to us for use and implementation of a permaculture design. The place is run by a team of GAIA members and with the help of international volunteers. It serves as a polygon for natural building, permaculture, community living and sustainable practices. We nurture relations with neighbors and other villages, local food procedures, local institutions, etc. Our project proves that it is possible that people from different cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities, ages can live and work together, and that life in a village can be a right choice 🙂

Through the years, we have hosted dozens of trainings, workshops and gatherings, and got support from many local and international volunteers, friends and travelers. With all of them, we tackled different environmental and social topics, shared knowledge and skills, and incorporated different solutions into our design and programs.

ABOUT THE WORK PART 😀

This ESC team will be about natural building, why it makes sense and how to use it as a solution for local needs. Nowadays everything is fast and disposable: and that’s also for building, from foundations to roof, energy efficiency to longevity. The idea for this project is to gather and create not only a functional and cozy space but also exchange traditional woodworking techniques, using earth as an amazing and shapeable building material.

The main activities of this ESC team will be around an outdoor kitchen/dining space, building the components, and improving additional facilities. We want to improve facilities whilst connecting elements in our permaculture design, and create a nice, comfortable space where volunteers, participants and guests can sit, enjoy, hangout and of course get to taste local, homemade and seasonal vegetarian food at its best! 🙂

This outdoor kitchen will be made of wooden and earthen items, using traditional techniques and mainly hand tools. The first step will be to set up the brick floor, then we will work on making separation walls, shelves and wood stove for cooking from cob, also table, benches and kitchen top from wood.

Basically the volunteers will be involved in the following:

Getting familiar with basic woodwork and carpentry with hand-tools
Preparing and testing different mixes of plaster from earth, straw and sand
Preparation and use of a mixture of straw, sand and earth (cob) to create walls and furniture
Laying and designing a fired clay brick floor
Learning about theory of Natural building
Learning and practicing Safety on working site and working with tools

LEARNING & LEISURE
There will be many different learning opportunities for the participants:

Basics of woodwork
Traditional crafts
Cob as a building material
Earthen plaster
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…

During their free time, the volunteers will be able to play games, read books, go for walks or rest in hammocks in the orchard. Sometimes we will go for a coffee to neighbors or football games with youngsters in the neighboring village, or even visit a monastery nearby. Trips outside the village can be organized as well, but the costs will have to be shared.

ACCOMMODATION & FOOD

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

On the property we also live together with several dogs, cats, goats, chickens, geese and bees. Around the place there are many birds, toads, lizards and insects.

Lifestyle is sustainable, simple, and without much technology, even though access to the internet is available.

HOW TO APPLY

This project is open for all young people from Kosovo, Germany and France, 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.

You should register at the European Youth Portal: https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/placement/38960_en

and apply here before 25th of April: https://forms.gle/boxgEdzFTxXXB4aM8

ABOUT ESC PROGRAM AND VOLUNTEERING TEAMS

The European Solidarity Corps is a European Union initiative that brings together young people to build a more inclusive society, supporting vulnerable people and responding to the challenges society is facing across the continent. It offers an inspiring and empowering experience for young people who want to help, learn and develop by funding a range of opportunities across a broad range of areas, such as integration of migrants, environmental challenges, prevention of natural disasters, education and youth activities or measures to prevent radicalisation.

Volunteering teams are solidarity activities which allow teams of 10 to 40 participants coming from at least two different countries to volunteer together for a period between 2 weeks and 2 months.

Useful links:

Information about ESC: https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/young-people/volunteering_en

GAIA’s website: https://www.gaiakosovo.org/permaculture/

Roter Baum Berlin’s website: https://www.roter-baum-berlin.de/

Video of last years ESC team: https://www.facebook.com/gaiakosovo/videos/245420171461712/

GAIA contact: