Greenlandic Children wants Camp Kullorsuaq to give the inhabitants a fantastic, creative, active, and interesting summer. The activities will take place Monday through Friday 12.00-18.00, and will fall into these categories: Music, Dance, Singing, Games, Sports, and Excursions. The volunteers will decide which activities to offer during the camp. You should expect long days, and it is expected that you will participate in all activities. On Saturdays, we will invite the entire population to a social event from 18.00-21.00. This could be a night of music and dancing, teaching each other to play an instrument, cooking food from your home country, movie night, etc.
Accomodation and food
Sleeping + bathroom facilities:
You will stay in a shared bedroom with other volunteers of the same sex. You will sleep at the local school where kitchen and bathroom facilities will also be available. Please bring a sleeping bag and a sleeping mat.
Meals + kitchen facilities:
All groceries are transported by ship. Therefore, you should be able to adapt to these local conditions or bring a small stock of goods yourself. It can be challenging to be vegetarian or vegan since many meals in Greenland are based on meat and fish.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR ANY KIND OF INTOXICANTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AT ANY TIME OR CIRCUMSTANCE. VIOLATION OF THIS RULE WILL LEAD TO IMMEDIATE EXCLUSION FROM THE CAMP.
We will divide the volunteers into cooking and cleaning teams. The group is responsible for shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc. which is also going to take up some of your time every day.
Location and leisure
We have been doing work camps every summer since 2014. Greenlandic Children is cooperating with the local community in the settlement of Kullorsuaq, situated on the coast of West Greenland. Kullorsuaq is the largest settlement in Greenland and has its name from the nearby mountain that looks like a thumb.
Kullorsuaq is the biggest settlement in Greenland and was established in 1928. It's located 300 km north of Upernavik. The most important livelihoods in the settlement are trapping and fishing. The town has its fish factory. There are 444 inhabitants in Kullorsuaq and of these, 165 of them are 19 years of age or younger.
Arrangements will be made so that you will be able to experience the nature surrounding Kullorsuaq.
Telephone coverage might be scarce, and the internet connection might be bad.
Project hosted by
Greenlandic Children carries out social activities in Greenland and Denmark for Greenlandic children and young people in vulnerable life situations. We work to ensure that no Greenlandic child grows up in poverty, abuse, or neglect. Children must be heard and involved, and many more Greenlandic children and young people must have an education. We emphasize that our efforts are established in close cooperation with local authorities, organizations, professionals, children, and young people and with respect for local culture and language.
Greenlandic Children currently has 10 ongoing projects in Greenland and Denmark and is present in all Greenlandic municipalities, as well as in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Esbjerg, Randers, and Vejle. The organization has 30 employees and more than 100 volunteers. The organization’s projects are financed by public funds, foundations, support, and sponsorship from companies as well as private members and contributors.
In 2018 we received the Crown Prince Couple's Social Prize.
Directions to meeting point
Flight tickets:
Do not buy your plane ticket to Copenhagen (Denmark) before MS Denmark contacts you personally and allows it. Otherwise, the Association of Greenlandic Children cannot be responsible for the tickets if the Work Camp is canceled.
The whole Work Camp group will meet at Copenhagen Airport and travel to Greenland together. There are very few departures to Greenland, and the group must travel together. Your plane tickets will therefore be organized and bought by the Association of Greenlandic Children, whereafter you will transfer the money to them. We will provide you with banking details, and payment deadline over e-mail.
Since the price of tickets is very high, and some volunteers already have an added travel expense for flying to Copenhagen, the Association has decided to base the price of tickets on your departure country:
4000 DKK (approx. 540€) if you come from outside of Europe.
6000 DKK (approx. 800€): if you come from Europe (Russia incl.).
8000 DKK (approx. 1075€): if you come from the Nordic Countries: (Denmark, Sweden, Norway)
For example:
If you travel from Italy to Denmark, you will only pay 800€ for your ticket from Denmark to Greenland, as you are already paying for a ticket from Italy to Denmark.
We will fly directly from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq in Greenland and continue to Ilulissat and Upernavik. After a night’s sleep in Upernavik, you will travel by helicopter to Kullorsuaq. It is a long journey but with beautiful views.
Meeting time in Copenhagen
You will have to buy your ticket to and from Copenhagen. The meeting time in Copenhagen Airport can be very early on departure day, so it will be necessary to spend one night in Copenhagen before traveling to Greenland, to make sure that you do not arrive too late to meet the group. We generally also recommend that you arrive a few days before leaving for Greenland so that you can see Copenhagen and maybe meet your fellow participants.
Greenlandic Children will pay for one night in Copenhagen, for the people traveling from abroad. We have booked beds in dorm rooms from the 14th to the 15th of July at Steel House Copenhagen, a central hostel close to the train station and metro.
The meeting point is Copenhagen Airport on the 15th of July in the early morning hours. You must be at the airport on time. We will provide you with the departure time on the 15th.
Departure from Greenland
When we depart Greenland and fly to Copenhagen (Denmark), the flight can be delayed due to bad weather. We, therefore, recommend that you plan to stay two extra nights in Copenhagen before leaving on your flight to your home country in case we get stuck in Greenland.
As nobody is in control over the weather situation, we of course recommend that you buy travel insurance, to cover your flight expenses, in case we are so delayed from Greenland, that you will also miss your flight to Copenhagen.
Additional comments
Clothing:
The average temperatures in Kullorsuaq in June/July are between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius. Therefore, it is good to have many layers of clothing (inner layers preferably of wool), gloves, and headbands.
Language:
It is required that you speak English. The main languages in Kullorsuaq are Greenlandic and Danish.
Volunteer profile:
We prefer an approach of diversity regarding volunteer skills. Nevertheless, the inhabitants have requested volunteers who are specifically interested/skilled in the areas of outdoor/wilderness activities, football (soccer), futsal, and creative activities. Volunteers who have an interest in baking and cooking with children are also very welcome.
We welcome all volunteers, including Greenlandic volunteers, international volunteers, and Danish volunteers.