Gardening and connecting across social borders

CODE: FI-KVT W9.2

Description

The Äijälä community’s aim is to support its clients in their everyday life and life management. The community works with organic gardening and it has a charming old farmhouse that has been renovated to host disabled people for daytime activities and during the holidays. Äijälä also offers supportive work activities for long-term unemployed people and preserves traditional culture and working methods. Äijälä has been hosting KVT workcamps since 1980.

Type of Work

Mainly physical gardening with local community workers, volunteers and local assisted camp participants. Also clearing the new garden plot area of the community farmhouse. The farm grows root vegetables, berries and other vegetables. During the camp, the volunteers will spend activity time together with local camp participants. The Äijälä community aims to offer a tranquil environment for its visitors, which aligns with the work of the camp. This means that some of the camp days might be a bit slower in pace.

Study Theme

Equal and communal working and living, diversity of people and backgrounds

Accommodation

In shared rooms (women and men separately), in a 200-year-old wooden farmhouse, which is the main building of the farm. Beds, bed linen and pillows will be provided to the volunteers. Washing laundry is possible on-site. Volunteers with physical disabilities are also warmly welcome, but should be aware that moving around the house or garden may require some assistance (there are, e.g. doorsteps, sand & grass in the garden). Mealtimes are shared with local camp participants in a theme of shared, equal community meals.

Requirements: A free-formatted invitational letter is required. Volunteers should express in their own words why they want to participate in the camp and how they can benefit from the volunteer tasks.

Location and leisure: Jyskä, near Jyväskylä city in Central Finland. The nearest big city, Jyväskylä, can be reached by public transport and visited for sightseeing during the volunteer's free time.