Hi, my name is Caroline. I’m a 23-year-old Belgian who has just completed her studies in oceanography. I was looking for a volunteering project to do a gap year when I heard about the European Solidarity Corps. I quickly found a project that allowed me to engage in outdoor activities, thanks to the Lava Legato association, located in the Netherlands. They offered me a 10-month project on a biodynamic farm called “Urtica de Vijfsprong”, in the countryside near Zutphen (close to Apeldoorn). I quickly fell in love with Zutphen and its landscape.
I have been living in a house with three roommates for a month now. We have a lot of fun together, both at home and when we visit places. I’m really glad to be with them.
Four times a week, we cycle 45 minutes to go to the farm, where we can take part in different activities according to our preferences.
I chose to spend two days a week in the garden, where we grow different vegetables. I dedicate two afternoons a week to a wool workshop, where we create wool decorations in a cosy atmosphere. I help one morning a week in a barn where we take care of many cows and calves, as well as chickens and pigs. Finally I devote one morning a week making dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and others. This manual activitiy, mostly outdoors, does me a lot of good.
We do these activities with people with intellectual disabilities, some who are employees, but also retirees and others who come as volunteers. I’m excited to connect and learn from people with backgrounds and experiences very different from mine.
The people here are really open-minded, and we are encouraged to engage at our own pace, together, without any pressure. As a Belgian who does not speak Dutch, I’m happy to receive lessons and have the opportunity to learn this language to help me integrate into Dutch culture, and to carry this knowledge forward for future experiences.
I’m really happy with my project and look forward to seeing how it evolves!
Caroline
