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“Conscious living project based in central Portugal practicing meditation, eco-building and permaculture to grow a small resilient and self-sustaining community for several families.”
Volunteering area
Earth Care
Location
Castelo Branco, Portugal
Project description
I’m Adam, originally from the UK. I created a project called Tao Valley four years ago. Inspired by the apparent need to re-establish people’s connection with nature, I wanted to create a space of conscious living where people can live on and learn from the land and each other and potentially grow into a community.
At the moment, it’s a simple, ‘back-to-basics’ off-grid home, nestled in a beautiful and tranquil valley surrounded by trees and next to a river. Every day is an opportunity to discover new aspects of life both inwardly and outwardly. We tend to allow the rhythms of nature to guide us in activity, eating, sleeping and celebrating. We practice everything from Tai Chi and meditation to permaculture and eco-building.
Our core values are:
• Conscious Communication
• Mutual Support
• Ecological Living
• Living in Truth
• Active Participation
To date, I have hosted about ninety short-term volunteers. However, for the community to grow reliably here, now it’s necessary to open my doors to volunteers who want to stay for longer periods. And so it is my wish that, in time, Tao Valley will become a haven for five or six families enjoying the abundance of the river and the earth as a largely self-sustaining small community.
Main activities will include
(but not limited to)You’ll be involved with two main categories of work:
- Daily and weekly tasks for off-grid living. These include animal care, mucking out the chicken coop, cleaning communal areas and amenities, food stock, fetching water as well as pruning and mulching the food forest.
- Specific project development. These tasks orientate around what is needed next. We are currently focused on completing the communal Superadobe (bio-construction) kitchen. Within the following year, tasks may include building a block of compost toilets, a greenhouse, a Superadobe dome tiny house and more.
Specific information/requisites
Please note that this is a sober project, no alcoholic drinks or drugs are allowed. This, together with daily sharing circles, creates a safe space for everyone to feel welcome and be themselves without risk of judgment.
I am looking for two long-term volunteers (three months minimum) to come and help the project grow. Anyone wishing to stay for longer, following this minimum time, will be welcome to, provided all is well.
At the moment, I’m offering volunteer exchanges based on offering accommodation in exchange for 3 hours of help a day, 5 days per week. We share the cost of food, which is currently 25-30€/week (around 3€/day), for the basics of a healthy vegetarian diet.
If affordability is on your mind whilst reading this, we have WiFi for remote working. Plus, this area of Portugal is vibrant with freelance pop-up workshops and a market culture so there are opportunities to make an income from your skills whilst here. For example, I do Thai massage at a local resort and do manual labour to help me fund the project.
My goal is to gradually phase out money exchange and provide food and accommodation to volunteers, but this is a couple of years away.
I am flexible when it comes to starting dates but needs to be arranged at least one month in advance. We hope you give us about 2 weeks’ notice if you are planning on changing your dates.
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