Having an international group in the village will attract people to interact, make friends, so it is more likely that the impact to the local community in terms of environmental awareness will be greater and that the interaction through work and many cultural and social events. This workcamp will celebrate volunteering and for that reason volunteers will create a statue about volunteering beside preparing workshops for locals about environmental protection. The volunteers will work also with the youngest, teaching them English and learning about local customs, games and dances from them in return. A final event will mark the finish of the workcamp, and it will depend of volunteers creativity.
Accomodation & food:
in the local Cultural Centre on mattresses or in tents next to the Cultural Centre (the choice is free, no sleeping bags nor own tents needed). Food will be prepared by the locals with the help of the volunteers, so to learn more about the local cuisine and introduce international elements.
Location & leisure:
Donja Toponica (15 km from Nis) is a village of merely 350 inhabitants, situated very close to Nis, one of the biggest cities of Serbia and the host of this year s 1700 anniversary celebration of the Milan s edict. Excursions to a mountain village, an unexploited natural spa and Nis will be organised. Mountains of south-eastern Serbia boast nearly untouched nature, rich wildlife, old forts and cities on their tops, and many of them are hiding in its interior spacious halls of magnificent caves. www.discoversoutheastserbia.com
Requirements:
The volunteers should have necessary skills for teaching English to children and/or through presenting the traditional and modern dances from their countries and/or have other artistic skills like painting. They should be nature and village lovers.
arranging, cleaning and decorating public spaces including paining public murals; raising awareness through campaigns on the importance of environment friendly behaviour among the locals; organising the local event With hook against drugs , sport fishing for children; other local events, influenced by the international group of volunteers, like teaching children English or organising intercultural games and activities.
Accomodation & food:
in a building of sport fishing association, on mattresses. If you want, you can sleep in your own tent in the yard. Bring sleeping bags. There is an equipped kitchen and toilets. Volunteers will prepare means by themselves, with material provided.
Location & leisure:
Karavukovo is a village of 4360 inhabitants 65km from Novi Sad and 160km from Belgrade. Excursions to nearby interesting sights will be organised, where volunteers would experience the traditional way of living characteristic for Vojvodina.
Requirements:
Volunteers should have some experience in engaging in public activities, be creative and contribute with the ideas for local events.
The small village of Trsic is the birthplace of Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic, the 19th century language reformer who is considered the father of the modern Serbian language. A portion of the village has been turned into an ethnographic park, centred on a recreation of the Karadzic family home. The pedestrian zone connecting Trsic and Tronosa monastery, once the road Vuk Karadzic was passing every day on his way to school (monastery itself), is polluted with mini waste dumps and garbage spreaded by tourists and local inhabitants. The environment as well as the attraction of this touristy place is endangered by the waste and its quantity.
Local Partner:
The workcamp is a joint initiative of several local partner organizations working together on introducing the spirit of volunteerism and developing and improving rural and eco-tourism in Trsic (www.kamp-trsic.org.rs). The goal is to educate local people and motivate them to be active citizens in preserving the nature and other values for the sake of generations to come. This is the seventh year the camp is organized here, as the first six gave great results.
Work:
Volunteers will work on cleaning the woods from garbage, clearing the vegetation, reconstruction of the info signs and boards, marking the walking and biking paths which are connecting Vuk’s house and 5km distant XIV century Tronosa monastery. Volunteers should be prepared for long hiking and hard work. The additional activity will be about sculpturing in the forests using natural materials (the idea is to make and hang them on the paths in the forest). All the art workshops will be led by artists.
Accommodation and food:
In a fully equipped house only 50m away from Vuk’s house (www.trsic.co.rs), built in the same, traditional, style but at the same time very technologically advanced, in the heart of the ethno village. No sleeping bags needed.
Location and leisure:
Trsic is a small village famous as the birth place of Vuk Karadzic, the reformist of Serbian language and orthography. Beside beautiful and preserved nature, green glades, thick forests and bounty of streams, this landscape offer an idyllic atmosphere of traditional Serbia of 18th and 19th century. Trsic is situated close to Loznica in the western part of Serbia.
Excursions to important cultural and historical points will be organized, together with visits to museums and one day for getting to know the children from the local school and participating in their special event. Participation of the local volunteers will be an essential part of the workcamp.
Special requirements:
Volunteers should be nature and culture lovers prepared for long walks and hard work. Also, volunteers with interest and experience in land art are very welcome.
Extra fee:
20 EUR. This fee, to be paid upon arrival, is used as an addition to the workcamp budget, for additional excursions and material for work.
« I would recommend participating in a workcamp, especially with VAP, who ensured that I found a project to suit me and provided essential training for me in preparation for my trip. Being part of a workcamp really is a life-changing experience, oh, and it looks great on your CV! »
