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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, I’m no longer a leader, I’m so happy!
It’s Friday morning as I’m writing this, we’re having a meeting with Tisho. I’m stressed because, well, it’s probably going to be a report on what I’ve done these past two weeks, and I feel like I’ve only done useless tasks that haven’t had much of an impact. The roof is still not finished, and I don’t really know what to do about it. The painting on the second floor is well underway but not finished. There’s no more tent in the school, and there are a few things I need to change in the workshop. I’m under crazy pressure, I don’t really know why. I’m a little annoyed with the volunteers because I gave them an hour and a half to write two reports, and in the end, on the report where I can see who wrote what, only 4 or 5 people responded instead of 9, so that really pisses me off. What else? I need to work on my garden, and I’m going to… Finally having some time! The thing is, I don’t know if I’ll have someone to help me or not, so that’s also annoying me. Next week my mom is coming with my sister, I’m super happy! That’s pretty much all the news.
Gas
This week represented a perfect balance between the project’s long-term commitments and well-
deserved rest, taking advantage of the days off granted by the program for an international
experience. On rest days, the group took the opportunity to break away from the rural routine and
embark on a journey to Greece, reaching Thessaloniki!
Greece’s second city offered a vibrant contrast to the quiet of the Bulgarian village. The visit
allowed we to explore the city’s rich historical heritage, from Roman and Byzantine remains to
vibrant urban life on the waterfront.
The return to the reality of volunteering marked the change of pace necessary to keep the project
alive. Wednesday was an intense day of structural work. In addition to tidying up the playing field
and removing weeds, we put a lot of energy into setting up the tents, making our accommodation
safe and habitable again.
Thursday we dedicated it to discovering the roots of the territory. The group visited museums
dedicated to local and ancient history, exploring artifacts that tell the story of the region’s past.
The itinerary continued with a visit to historical monuments, allowing us to delve deeper into the
cultural context in which we operate and appreciate the historical stratification of the place.
On Friday, we pulled the last weeds around the school, and set up the room for the film screening.
The week ended in a special way on Friday evening with a movie night dedicated to the children of
the village. This event transformed the week’s work into an opportunity for direct connection with
the local community of Mrachenik, bringing joy and entertainment to families and strengthening
the bond between long-term volunteers and residents. In a context where the impact of our work
is visible in the consolidation of common spaces and the creation of a stable routine, this evening
confirmed the project’s ultimate goal: the social revitalization of a rural village through sharing
and community creation.
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.
