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Hi! My name is Amina, and I am doing a three-month volunteering project in Mrachenik with the Smokinya Foundation. I arrived from Spain in mid-June. I have already been here for several weeks, and I feel that time is flying by far too quickly, especially during the weekdays, when I am busiest.
Today, July 16, 2026, I would like to share my experience so far. I hope it can serve as an example or, at the very least, offer some insight into what this project is like.
I have to admit that, at the beginning of this adventure, I wasn’t entirely sure why I had decided to come to Bulgaria, to a village I had never even heard of before. Why did I choose this project? At first, I saw it as an opportunity I simply couldn’t miss—a chance to have an experience that would enrich me personally. Now, however, I can add a few more reflections.
Coming to the Smokinya Foundation has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. It is not just about traveling or gaining experience; it is also about learning. And I don’t just mean learning how to cook, cut wood, paint a door or a window. I mean learning through emotions—learning how to connect with so many different people and to develop feelings that have always been there but were sometimes difficult to express.
Joining this project is a way of stepping outside your comfort zone. I never imagined I would learn to use so many tools or be capable of doing some of the work we carry out here. But leaving your comfort zone is not only about physical work; it is also about listening, living alongside, and learning from people with very different cultural backgrounds—from a French volunteer to an Egyptian or a Lebanese one. This intercultural environment is reflected in the food, the music, and, above all, in everyday life together, where every difference becomes an opportunity to learn.
As I mentioned before, our daily tasks range from measuring and cutting wood to installing roofing on top of the “Re-Barn” building. However, it is not all hard work. There are also moments when we enjoy unforgettable experiences together, such as exploring the area around the village to gather different fruits and plants—I have to admit that this is my favorite activity. We go hiking with a passionate local biologist, and we also help some of the villagers with cleaning and organizing tasks.
I think I have already said it, but coming to the Smokinya Foundation is not a vacation. For me, it is an opportunity to discover, to experience, and to learn how to appreciate the small moments that time offers you. It is about accepting whatever comes your way and allowing yourself to go with the flow. Spending evenings gazing at the stars, going out into the countryside and staying there for hours, simply letting time pass, is also a way of discovering. It is a way of reconnecting with yourself because, as contradictory as it may seem, when you live with so many people, finding a moment of solitude is not always easy.
There are also many moments that we enjoy together as a group: intense volleyball matches, card games, cooking together, cleaning, organizing movie nights, or simply sharing the silence at night without feeling the need to do anything else.
At the Smokinya Foundation, a true community is created—a place where, little by little, you find yourself, or perhaps discover a calmer, more relaxed version of yourself, one that is far removed from the monotony of everyday life. In the end, beyond all the work that gets done, what truly stays with you are the people you meet, the conversations you share, and everything you learn from others and from yourself.
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Should you have a question, contact us: info@smokinya.com.
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
