2024 Spring

Mara

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Having the ESC volunteering project in Slovenia at Mokovec Farm as my first time volunteering with ESC was truly a great experience! The host and our coordinator, Prija, took good care of us and our needs and helped us with everything that we needed.

I have learned a lot in the almost 2 months, like how to live on a farm, how to garden, how to take care of specific things from the farm, how to make a fire , and what the premaculture principles are.

One of the things I loved the most was that we took almost every morning to talk about how we felt, what our needs were, and grateful and awareness moments. I strongly believe this practice should be used in all jobs by all employees. It made me feel heard, safe, and taken care of. I can’t say the same for the rest of the jobs I had in EU before.

Beside this, we also did creative activities, such as painting or making macramé. I always thought I was bad at painting, but the exercise we tried (to paint collectively, to switch places with each other, and not get attached to the creation) helped me tremendously to be more in flow with my art and accept my creations!

I have also learned how to live in a more sustainable way by being closer to nature and embracing a simple lifestyle. I wish one day to become an inspiration like Prija, the whole family with Peter (our mentor), and Zarja (their inspiring daughter), and the farm. My dream now is to build a similar project, to work with multicultural volunteers, and to spread more awareness about protecting our planet!