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Hello! Welcome to the Wild Vibes recap. Since February 2025, we hosted 7 young people for 3 months and more in Mrachenik, rural village in the Sredna Gora region. All working together to renovate an old school into a volunteering and training center while connecting with rural life and locals.
We currently have two volunteer staying for 6-12 months and nine others staying for 3 months this summer!
If you wanna join, all the details are HERE
You can already apply HERE
We will cover weekly progress through the so-called “Weekly Recaps”. Here we will give a brief overview of what is happening in this little village called Mrachenik and report on our experiences.
Hi everyone!
This week flew by!
Because of the barn roof, we have to wake up at 6 am to avoid the heat, so the day starts early. And since we have incredible volunteers, they work until 6 pm some days, so we have to keep up. We’ve made good progress on the roof, but there’s still work to be done. Ideally, I’d like to finish by Wednesday, so we only have three days left. It should be doable.
After that, I really spent my whole week on the roof, so I don’t have much to say. Sam took care of everything else, but we also filmed a YouTube video that should be released this week.
What else? I’m the last remaining member of the old Smokinya group. Vic, Leo, and Sam left me to go to Hungary for training. I find myself alone in the house, taking care of the volunteers for this three-month project. I’ve kind of become a coordinator for now. It’s okay, I was a little stressed, but now I’m taking responsibility.
I also went to Veliko Tarnovo. It was quite an adventure! I missed the train station, so I walked for two hours alongside a highway at night, all to see some friends. As revenge, I asked them if they wanted to come next week. I don’t think it’ll happen, but it was fun. That’s all for this week. See you next week! Kisses.
(Djorge, you’re a god for giving me a ride!)
gas
hi
The team was divided into two groups, with one group focusing on
rebuilding the barn’s roof while the other worked on constructing a new
window to match the recently painted one. Due to the high temperatures,
the roof team adjusted their working schedule, starting early in the morning
and finishing in the afternoon. Dario, Padre Jorge, Pierre, and Leo were
responsible for the roofing work. This task required the entire week, as they
carefully measured, cut, and installed new
wooden beams to create a strong and stable
roof structure.
Although significant progress was made, the
work has not yet been completed and is
expected to continue into next week.
Another team focused on constructing the second new window and
painting it to match the design of the first one, ensuring consistency
in the barn’s appearance. In addition, they painted the small upper
window located on the front of the barn, which further enhanced the
overall aesthetic and contributed to the restoration and maintenance
of the building.
While the roof team continued working on installing the new
wooden pillars, the rest of the team focused on cleaning the center
of the village by removing weeds and taking care of the surrounding
environment. Afterwards, they helped an Italian woman by clearing
weeds from the street in front of her house, in order to maintain
the cleanliness and appearance of the neighborhood while
supporting the local community.
The team believes that enjoying the work is just as important as
completing it. To create a fun and relaxing atmosphere during
breaks, they built a swing in the garden, providing a space where
everyone could unwind, socialize, and strengthen team spirit.
The week ended with an energetic and enjoyable weekend, as the entire team
decided to spend time in Plovdiv, taking part in hiking and cycling activities. It
was a great opportunity to relax, explore the beautiful surroundings, and
strengthen the bonds within the team after a productive week of volunteering.
The main challenges:
• For the roof team: the main challenge was the feeling that we were taking too much time
and the progress was really slow
• For the painting team: the weather was one of the difficulties, and they struggled as well
to get out the weed’s roots when they were cleaning the village’s plaza.
• For everyone: the sunscreen (team’s nightmare)
The results:
• 80% of the roof it’s finished by now
• Both of the windows have been completed
• Mirror work is still going on
• Cleaning of the plaza is done
jorge and dario
https://smokinya.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Copie-de-smokinya-IG-003-1350-x-1080-px-Graphique.png
Want to learn about the benefits of our courses? Click here: https://smokinya.com/testimonials/
Should you have a question, contact us: info@smokinya.com.
This program is co-funded by the Erasmus+ / European Solidarity Corps program of the European Union.
Финансирано от Европейския съюз. Изразените възгледи и мнения обаче принадлежат изцяло на техния(ите) автор(и) и не отразяват непременно възгледите и мненията на Европейския съюз или на Европейската изпълнителна агенция за образование и култура (EACEA). За тях не носи отговорност нито Европейският съюз, нито EACEA.
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.
