My name is Dalibor I am 23 years old and originally from Slovakia. 

For six months I was a volunteer in an eco community called Gaia Terra, in Northern Italy. I learned a lot about environmental sustainability and its practices but also about the role that the community plays for a more sustainable world.

I chose to have this volunteering experience because I felt the need to find a safe place to reflect and think about my future, broaden my horizons and acquire new skills, furthermore I was curious about the way of life in eco villages, especially in relation to the theme of climate change.

And what was a typical day like? Well, every day was different… given the nature of the project, the activities that took place were varied, which I really appreciated. I usually contributed to the management of the community, helping with cooking, cleaning the premises, preparing events or working in the garden using the permaculture technique. Then there were several larger projects, such as building a straw bale house, where I learned to make clay plasters and decorations, but also time for my creative projects: I finished a system of signs to indicate the functionality of community bicycles.

The rest of the time I spent reading, studying, exploring the neighborhood on my bike, or swimming in the beautiful, lush river nearby.

Every day I worked together with a group of over 20 people: residents, young and old volunteers, travelers or guests who spent a few days at Gaia Terra during weekend events. It was sometimes difficult to find time and space for myself, especially because there was so much to do, to experience and so many inspiring conversations to have. It was difficult not to be overwhelmed by community life.

Apart from that, the volunteering experience was a great opportunity to work on my soft skills, such as nonviolent communication or developing a healthier relationship with myself, which are crucial aspects when living in a community.

Furthermore, today thanks to this path, sustainable practices such as eating local vegan and organic food, cleaning greasy dishes with coffee grounds instead of detergent, producing your own organic cleaning products or not producing waste seem obvious to me and sometimes I wonder why these simple steps with great positive impact are not common in our society

I carry with me many beautiful memories, friendships, new knowledge and skills that I consider very precious for my future path.

The most memorable moment was probably the last two weeks, when spring had already arrived, nature was coming back to life inviting us to help outside to plant trees and prepare the garden and I spent the precious remaining time with all the loved ones get to know each other there, dancing, taking car rides or trying the excellent local pizza.

I absolutely recommend taking part in a European Solidarity Corps volunteering project. Spending time volunteering was very enriching, it made me feel useful and opened my mind. Especially in an eco-community environment, very open, healthy, inclusive and full of inspiring people.