Want to learn about the benefits of our courses? Click here: https://smokinya.com/testimonials/
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.
ВАЖНО! Първо прочетете наръчника за успешно кандидатстване.
Weekly Recap
Hello again! This is a recap of what our volunteers did last week, which was the first week of hard work for the new volunteers from the Vitality Vibes project.
The week started at 6 a.m., with sleepy eyes and a cup of coffee to start the week with energy. That was the first lesson to learn here: working hard pays off. Monday was all about warming up and preparing all the work that had to be done throughout the week. One team was put in charge of gathering and cleaning pieces of wood, which would later be used to build benches. On the other hand, the media team planned the setup to document the content that had to be shared throughout the week. The rest of the teams were distributed throughout Mrachenik to help clean the village and pull out weeds.
Later that day, we had our first campfire, which helped us strengthen our bonds with the sound of guitars and the warmth of the fire.
For the rest of the week, we continued helping around the village, pulling weeds, cutting and organising wood, and cleaning up the school grounds. Seeing the results slowly appear after each day of work is really rewarding, and it reminds us that even small efforts can make a difference.
We’ve also been sharing plenty of moments together outside of work. This week, the Italian volunteers took over the kitchen, treating us to delicious risotto, frittata, and eggplant alla parmigiana. Food has definitely become one of the best ways to share our cultures and spend time together!
On Tuesday afternoon, we visited our neighbour Staiko and his family. At 82, he amazed us with his energy and determination to keep building his house. We helped him carry stones and then spent the afternoon around the table with his family, sharing food, learning a few Bulgarian words, talking, laughing, and even showing off our dance moves!
Of course, not everything went exactly as planned. Some of us started feeling unwell, so we had to slow down and take some time to rest. The rest of the group stepped up to take care of everyone, reorganising the teams and making sure we could all recover safely.
Due to all the health problems we were experiencing, we also learnt another important lesson: sometimes, it’s important to take a rest in order to come back stronger. That’s why we made the decision to take Thursday off to recover and get some much-needed sleep.
On Friday, we finished all the work planned for the week. Some volunteers stayed in the village, cleaning the streets and the school and building the new benches. At the same time, other volunteers went to Domlyan to clean the main road and help the villagers there.
Later, the media team decided to make a video for a reel, bringing Shrek into the story to talk about ESC Corps. Don’t forget to watch the reel on our social media!
The intention was to rest over the weekend, but some people didn’t do much of that. On Saturday, one group went on a 20 km hike to Svezhen Lake, while another group decided to go to Plovdiv to explore the historic city.
And that’s it for the entire week! Last Sunday, the volunteers started Disconnection Week. Everyone left their phones in a box in order to learn how to disconnect from our phones and stay more in touch with the present moment.
So, stay tuned for our upcoming activities during this special last week for most of us!
IMPORTANT
Come in person to learn about Smokinya, Erasmus+, this project, reimbursement and ask your questions.
Participation is obligatory, an option is to join via Skype / Hangouts apps.
Read more details in the infopack.
Important! Read carefully the info letter, it contains important details.
This is learning program funded by Erasmus+ programme.
That requires commitment. You will be asked to organise a follow-up activity after the program.
The program is intensive and challenging.
The program does NOT include cultural and touristic sightseeing.
Get to know all provided information in the info letter before you submit your application form.
Apply only when you know you want to participate and you have the dates of the training available.
Travel reimbursement is only sent to those who fully participate in all phases, including the follow-up and dissemination.
General applications are disregarded.
Want to learn about the benefits of our courses? Click here: https://smokinya.com/testimonials/
More information: Info letter
COST AND FEES
This project is funded by ESC program: accommodation, food, materials, the program and the travel costs up to the maximum allowed amount are fully covered. No fees.
Smokinya Foundation operates thanks to hundreds of volunteering hours per month and donations.
Your donation covers some of our administrative and organisational expenses and supports Smokinya Foundation’s dream to establish youth-run international volunteering and training centre.
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.
