Work Camp “Stara Planina 2014” – Call for participants
Deadline: 01.05.2014
Open to: Worldwide
Name: “Stara Planina 2014”
Location: Village Visocka Rzana (Pirot, Serbia). Visocka Rzana is a village on Stara Planina (Old mountain), famous by it’s beauty and history. Visocka Rzana was the biggest village in the higher part of Stara Planina and the center village, as well, with a school attended by more than 200 children in the past. Today it is a place pretty much left by everybody, with just few people still living there and with an empty, abandoned school. Besides beautiful and preserved nature, green glades, thick forests and bounty of streams, this landscape revives the idyllic atmosphere of traditional Serbia from the 18th and 19th century period.
Start date: 01.07.2014
End date: 15.07.2014
Type of work: Reconstruction, Education, Ecology, Sport,
Number of volunteers: 40
Min age: 18.
Max age: No limit.
Description:
Organizer: NGO “Pirot E Publika” – https://www.facebook.com/NGOPEP
Partners:
Primary school “Sveti Sava” from Pirot
WWOOF Serbia – http://www.wwoofserbia.org/
Tourist Organization Pirot – http://topirot.com/
The work camp is a joint initiative of several, mostly local, partner organizations working together on introducing the spirit of voluntarism and developing and improving rural and eco-tourism in Visocka Rzana and Stara Planina.
Project : The goal is to adapt the old school in the village, educate youth and motivate them to be active citizens in preserving the nature and other values for the sake of generations to come. This is the 3th year that we are organizing the camp and the 1st year in this village. The previous two camps had great outcomes and the last years’ camp is named as one of the TOP 10 youth projects in Serbia in 2013 by the Umbrella Association of Serbian Youth. We want to promote sustainable lifestyle, nature of Stara Planina and rural tourism, as well.
Work: Volunteers are going to work on painting the school, making and placing resting wooden benches and info boards. They are going to adapt the old gym made of mud, painting bridges in the village and planting seeds in the school yard. Also, they are going to bring back to life the basketball court in the yard.
Accommodation and Food: In tents in the school yard or, in case it rains, inside the school classroom. 3 meals per day, prepared by campers themselves. The school is in really bad condition, but there are two classrooms that can be used as a storage and sleeping place. Campers will use solar showers and toilets in the school yard. We are looking forwards to face those challenges together with participants.
Location and Leisure: Camp will be held in village Visocka Rzana on Stara planina (Old mountain), 27km from Pirot, 700m above the sea level in South-Eastern part of Serbia. Campers will have a chance to participate in various workshops (activism, ecology, permaculture, poetry, storytelling, diving..) and sport events, to hike a lot so they can see the beauty of Stara planina and they will have the possibility to swim in the mountain river Visocica.
Special remarks: Excursions to beautiful places on the mountain such as church in the cave with the picture of Bold Jesus on the wall, waterfall Tupavica, Rosomac Gorge, springs and many others will be organized. Participation of the local volunteers will be an essential part of the workcamp.
Special requirements: Participants should be nature and culture lovers prepared for long walks and hard work. They should have experience in camping and be prepared for extreme conditions (very hot days and coldish nights). They should have some experience in repairing.
Participants are supposed to bring their own tents, sleeping bags and blankets. Since nights can be very cold (Visocka Rzana is on 700m above the sea level), they need to bring warm jacket for the night, beside blanket.
Make sure to bring hats, sun cream and appropriate clothing (things you don’t mind getting dirty and torn), swimsuit and walking shoes.
Cost:
Foreign participants: 60 euros
Serbs: 4550 rsd
Fee is used as an addition to the workcamp budget, for additional excursions and materials for work, for reporting stay and for the meals and it is paid before coming to the camp.
Participants are paying their own travel costs!
Languages: Work language of the camp is English.
Airport: Sofia, Belgrade
Train station/Bus station: Pirot
Notes: Village Visocka Rzana is 27km from Pirot. There is no shop in the village, except one in the next village, around 20 minutes walk from the camp.
There will be access to the Internet provided, but not 24/7.
More Info:
udruzenjepep@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/WorkCampStaraPlanina
How to apply: Fill in the form on this link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bOWqoYCiosV-7X_DF5zJr8aDnhe-yDy3iGm1frSreag/viewform
