ESC Team at Fattoria L’Arca in Italy | Mayla and Antonio Share Their Experience!
The ESC Team project “Team for Healthy Life 2 – T4HL”, financed by the European Solidarity Corps programme and run by Associazione Joint in cooperation with Agriturismo L’Arca in Italy, has come to an end!
The overall objective of the project, in accordance with the priorities set for 2021, was to promote well-being and a healthy lifestyle for the volunteers and local communities. It was an opportunity for participants to reclaim a space to socialise in a healthy and safe manner, while engaging in volunteer activities that promote the inclusion of vulnerable groups, health and wellbeing in communities.
Project activities touched on specific themes, in accordance with the host organisation and the needs of the local community:
- nature and outdoor life
- mental health
- health prevention/health promotion
- conscious nutrition
Let’s see what participants have to say about it!
Mayla’s Testimonial
My name is Mayla, I’m 27 years old, and I’m from Rome. The hustle and bustle of the city has always made me feel stifled, and I’ve always dreamed of a slower lifestyle, more in harmony with nature. When I received the notification to participate in the ESC project at L’Arca, I knew it was the opportunity I had been looking for. From the moment I set foot at L’Arca, I felt at home. The welcoming atmosphere, the extraordinary people, and the constant contact with nature created an unforgettable experience. I learned how to cultivate a vegetable garden, harvest olives, and even try my hand at bread-making. Every day was a new discovery, an opportunity to connect with the earth and with myself. It wasn’t just the physical work that enriched me. I shared unique moments with my fellow adventurers from all over the world. We laughed, we cried, we learned from each other. L’Arca was a place of personal growth where I faced my fears and overcame my limits. I will always remember the sunrises spent in the garden, the hard work of harvesting olives rewarded by the beauty of the landscape, and the afternoons dedicated to exploring the surrounding area. I went rafting on the Lao River, learned to make fresh pasta, and worked on ceramics with a master artisan. Every experience was a treasure to cherish. L’Arca taught me the importance of living in the present, appreciating the little things, and connecting with nature. I returned to Rome with a heart full of gratitude and a new perspective on life. I highly recommend this experience to anyone seeking an authentic adventure and an opportunity for personal growth. L’Arca is so much more than a farm; it’s a place where dreams come to life.
Antonio’s Testimonial
After a year volunteering abroad in a big city, I decided to continue with this way of living but in a different scenario, coming closer to nature and away from the over-stimulation of city life. I expected to find a place where I could be in contact with nature and with other people, have a peaceful and balanced lifestyle and learn more about gardening and agriculture. Indeed, I found these things, and though living in community brought some challenges –sharing my everyday with people from different backgrounds and lifestyles or sharing a room with two more people– it was also a good way to learn more about myself and about being flexible to new situations. In the project we’ve been working in agriculture and maintenance: we would plant (not as often because of being in autumn season), harvest, weed the fields, dig the soil to mix it with natural fertilizer, take care of the strawberry plants, paint the trunks of the fruit trees to protect them from plagues, dismantle old structures and build new ones (for example for the bean plants), cut the bamboos alongside the river, etc. We had also a day of harvesting the olives, and several workshops besides the working schedule (ceramics, pizza, making baskets, etc.). Some days the work was hard and physical, and sometimes there were tasks that required several days and could become a bit challenging, but overall, it was very rewarding to work outdoors and always in contact with nature. For me it has been a very beautiful adventure in every sense, so I would for sure recommend it to everyone who is truly motivated to try out this lifestyle and who wants to connect with nature, also when nature offers discomfort and respecting the environment and the countryside requires an effort, also when community life requires adaptation.
ESC Teams with the European Solidarity Corps
The special feature of the ESC Teams is its short duration, ranging from 2 weeks to a maximum of 2 months. This aspect makes it accessible also to young people who work or study and cannot dedicate a whole year to travel! Despite the brevity of the projects, Group ESCs offer meaningful and intense life experiences, during which numerous professional skills can be acquired. Moreover, by sharing life and work with a group of people, similar to a community, lɜ participants have the opportunity to create strong bonds even in a short period of time.