SEPTEMBER 2024- JULY 2025 HAMEAU DES BUIS
General information about the project :
Name of the project : Expérimenter la Transition en Ardèche Méridionale (ETAM) : Experimenting Transition in Southern Ardèche
Date : September 2023 to July 2024, 9 to 10 months mission for 1 volunteer :
Place : Hameau des Buis, Ardèche, Southern France
Leading Partner : Association du Hameau des Buis France
Contact person : esc team : esc.hameaudesbuis@gmail.com
The ESC project is based on youth participation in intergenerationnal community daily life, sharing activities with children and elders, and helping in the veggie garden and caring goats
The volunteers will have the expérience of living in Hameau des Buis with its 20 strawbale houses, some huts and yurts, The way of living in Hameau des buis involve many of the skills and tasks needed for a self sufficient rural lifestyle. Volunteers wil learn from making bread to caring goats, taking care of a market garden and water management. We offer a full immersion learning expérience in rural living and space for collective creativity to imagine and create sustainable future.
What is European Solidarity Corps :
It is an Erasmus project that allows people Young people to go abroad to learn foreign languages and cultures and contribute to a better world with the support of the EU. It provides an opportunity to join meaningful work and experiential learning while costs for food, accommodation and travelling are covered by EU grant.
Hameau des Buis food and accommodation
The ESC volunteering will take place in the Ecovillage Hameau des Buis, full member of GEN Europe : www.hameaudesbuis.org
It was built between 2007 and 2011 during a participative building process. It’s an intentional community, making décisions through assemblies, cultivating the gardens, taking care of the animals : some of us are vegan or vegetarians. We are experimenting and sharing a sustainable world also at a human level, for example in conflict résolution with « restorative circles »
What you’ll find in Hameau des Buis ?
Experience community life within a group with 10 years of existence as an intentional community. Participate in the farm tasks or in daily life activities : depending of the season we follow different activity schedules.
You may participate in the workshops (making soap, making preserves)
All of the members of our community speak French, some Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, Tcheq, Danish.
Accommodation: private room with bathroom. Shared kitchen in communal house.
The community is surrounded by a beautiful nature, and very close from wonderful swimming spot.
What we expect :
Open and flexible cooperation, respect our way of life and children’s education, and our organization, timetables, activities…Since we are numerous we have to follow some rules otherwise our common life would be very difficult. Respect the spaces, rooms and common places, keep them tidy and clean. Inside our property drugs are not permitted. We recycle water, so you’ll need organic shampoo and toothpaste. We can provide homemade soap.
We love animals but you can’t come with your pet
We provide an internet connection although it works with some limitations and is not always stable.
Food
We’ll provide a food budget to the volunteer in order for him-her to choose what he-she wants to eat in our communal grocery shop, and he-she will prepare meals together with other volunteers.
Concerning drugs and alcohol we would like to make it clear that there is a no drugs tolérance during the ESC. It is allowed to drink alcohol in a responsible way and as long as it does not affect the ability to take part of the program and planned activities. It is not allowed to smoke in the houses.
Accommodation
The accommodation will be pleasant in a bioclimatic house with private bathroom. We will provide sheets and blankets.
Travel information
How to come :
The nearest train stations are Alès and Montélimar, then you have to take a bus to Ruoms or Lablachère.
Travel Reimbursement
Travel costs will be reimbursed upon submission of travel tickets up to 275€. Please remember to keep all the original travel tickets and give them at your arrival.
What to bring
Comfortable clothes, swimsuit and towel, hat to protect against the sun, flashlights, raincoat and warm clothes for winter, comfortable shoes for working walking and being outside, home shoes : inside you cannot use shoes, musical instruments, your special needs like tobacco, medication : the nearest shop is 10 kilometers away, your best smile 🙂
Insurance
We ask you to bring your European health card and apply for the ESC Insurance that your sending organization will help you
Requirements
The volunteer will be asked to learn French with provided courses during her-his stay as it will be the main language during the mission.
Highly valuated skills are flexibility, sense of responsibility, self-initiative and ability of working in a team.