RITMO NATURAL, Team I-2024, European Solidarity Corps Volunteering project. So short time, a little bit more than 2 weeks, but so transforming experiences, poems and friendships created! It´s a magic!
We came together in the beginning of may, people from different countries, ages and lifesituations..but we all decided to come here to Linda and Tonos project in the little village Plasenzuela.
We learned about Permaculture, worked in the garden, with the animals, with clay, compost and especially the caca was always our companion..
We explored the region of Extremadura around, the nature and the closest cities, we had some hiking trips and relaxed days on a beautiful river..
We cooked every day amazing dishes together, had coffebreaks and a lot of talks in the kitchen and outside in the sun and also played a lot of card games in the evenings and in the night..
We spend 16 days here, living together and experiencing to live in a community..
For me it was really nice to see, how quick you get to know people, which are in the beginning completely strangers, people you never met before..it felt very quick like we are a big family and that was great!!
We had a nice time of sharing. Sharing new experiences, different cultures, get out of our comfort zones, learning, laughing, discussing, enjoying nature and work and just the moment..
So the two weeks passed very quick and I think we all grew, at least a little bit, in this time. I am very greatful for this short, but intense time and I appreciate every single person who were part in our little family in the last two weeks – thank to all of you!
-Johanna-
Experiencing life in a community is a self transcending journey: understanding and caring for the relationships between each others and with other non human forms of existence, plants, ecosystems, animals and natural processes we are parts of and depending on is a process we as a species have to go through if we want to keep living on this planet.
-Mhamed-
This experience has enriched me a lot on various aspects. I really appreciated the many exercises and games played to improve group cohesion and trust, which enabled us to deal with conflict episodes with serenity and spontaneity. A really important part, I think, was the meeting in the morning circle where we had to take it in turns to talk about the aspects of the day before that we liked, that could be improved, and the things we didn’t like. On that big stone outside in the cold or in the sun, we felt comfortable and in a safe place and therefore felt more inclined to talk openly about everything, even the most uncomfortable topics. A cohesive and collaborative group was also created thanks to these exercises and despite the challenges of language barriers that an international group like ours might go through, we were really united by something beyond words, it was truly magical.
A thought of immense gratitude can only go to the organisers Linda and Toño who gave us this great opportunity to get closer to the world of permaculture by hosting us in the magical Albergue La Jarilla and opening the doors of their world to us through targeted theory lessons and related practice exercises. They taught us and showed us the different areas in which permaculture can be applied and how to do it.
-Cristina-
The day we talked about the zone 00, I wrote a poem as a reflection of the walking task outside. It’s in German but I tried to translate it into English and Spanish.
ZWISCHEN DEN STEINEN
Hier stehe ich Und halte mich an den Händen Mit Füßen auf Moos Hier war ich schon einmal kalt und nass Und in der Fußsohle Bleibt der Stein Der dumpf an meiner Haut liegt Zwischen Gräsern ein Pferd Mit flatternden Nüstern Und dunkler Mähne Galoppiert es in meine Brust Schafe auf dem Deich Der Wind fährt durchs Fell Ich war hier schon einmal Leicht und hell Im Morgen lehne ich mich An die Schulter der Esche Die blüht und stirbt Ich war schon einmal Still und klar Ich saß schon einmal an diesem Fluss Und habe zugehört Blau und Grün Durch die nasse Wiese Die am Schienbein leckt Und mir erzählt Wer ich war Und wer ich bin
BETWEEN STONES
Here I stand And hold my own hands feet on moss Cold and wet But in the sole Remains the stone That lies dull against my skin Between grasses, a horse With fluttering nostrils And dark mane It gallops into my chest Sheep on the dyke The wind runs through their fur I have been here before Light and bright In the morning I lean Against the shoulder of the ash tree That blooms and dies I have been here before Still and clear I have sat once before By this river And listened Blue and green Through the wet meadow That licks at my shins And tells me Who I was And who I am
ENTRE LAS PIEDRAS
Aquí estoy Y sostengo mis manos pies en el musgo Frío y mojado Pero en la planta Permanece la piedra Que yace sorda contra mi piel Entre las hierbas, una yegua Con ollares temblorosas Y crin oscura Galopa hacia mi pecho Ovejas en el dique El viento corre por su pelaje He estado aquí antes Ligero y brillante Por la mañana me apoyo En el hombro del fresno Que florece y muere He estado aquí antes Tranquilo y claro Me he sentado antes Por este río Y escuchado Azul y verde A través de la pradera mojada Que lame mis espinillas Y me cuenta Quién fui Y quién soy
-Anna-
First of all, the things that interested me most and really made me think about, are the importance of observation, the necessity of time and adaptation. For me it makes sens for a garden, but also for projects that involve other people and complexe issues, and for our personnal lifes. It means that we need to understand the social and environnemental context before to begin any projects, try to build links with the population as much as possible, and respond to the needs of the local life. It was interesting to feel these intentions in the project and see all the efforts it takes to respect these principles. I liked the fact that you want to spread your knowledge around you, and stay connected with society at different levels : with friends, local community and european young people 😉
Then, the concept of zonification has also resonnated a lot in me. It’s a tool I will use in my life for sure. I felt hope, because the way to think permaculture projects is to always find solutions to many problems, and make the things better years after years. So it guarantees the space for mistakes, the possibility to learn and improve. And in these times of climate crise I think we need more places like that to experience other ways to live sustainably.
During these weeks I felt safe, I found the space to be confortable enough to open myself to the others. I enjoyed the experience of the community life, especially the times of cooking, lunch and coffee. All these little moments which permits to create links between our different cultures and bring a little bit of everybody at home.
-Valentine-
