We build out of Earth, plant in the gardens, and exchange workshops while living within the natural beauty of the land and continuously learning from the living world all around us.
Internship in Sustainable Living:
(Course in Uruguay)
October 3 - December 3, 2016
Natural Building, Organic Gardening,
Natural Health and Pharmacy, Permaculture,
Community Building & Self-Reliance... more!
Now Accepting Applications
We are offering an in-depth 8-week internship in Sauce, Uruguay together with Volviendo a Casa for folks who are interested in getting hands-on experience in sustainable living: learn how to build your own house, plant your own gardens, design projects, and build new skills in many aspects of self-reliance including herbal medicines, fermentations, community design, and more!
Participants are encouraged to slow down, think, listen, and take time for personal development too. Interns will have time to go exploring in nature, read, craft, make art, share delicious meals, and do personal practices such as yoga and meditation. This will be a time of great personal learning and fun!
Workshop Topics:
Natural Building
House building from the base up! Foundations, wall construction, finishing techniques, and creative use of site-found and salvaged materials.
Earthen Building Techniques: super adobe/earthbag, cob, wattle-and-daub, quincha, plastering and natural paint-making.
Design Principles: passive solar; water collection, treatment and drainage; waste management, smart design for health and aesthetics.
Organic Gardening
Garden-making from start to harvest! Sustainable small-scale food production: designing, tending, and harvesting. Creating gardens for the community and the school.
Techniques: bed-making, composting, natural fertilizers and pesticides, soil amendments, seed starting, transplanting seedlings, seed collecting and saving, reforestation, companion planting, food forests…etc.
Natural Pharmacy
Herbal medicine making (tinctures, salves, etc); Natural health and beauty products (soaps, deodorant, etc); Fermentations (cheeses, wine, Kombucha); Cultivation of micro-organisms for health and garden; Jarring and preserving; Natural food-making (bread, yoghurt, cheese, jam,etc).
Social Design, Permaculture, Community Connectedness, & Personal Sustainability
Yoga, Meditation, Compassionate Communication, Documentary Films, Group Discussions, Deep Ecology, Community Meals, and Field Trips!
Course Details and Site Information
General Schedule:
Workshop Days (Mon-Fri): 2-3 daily workshops co-led by our team of teachers
There will be a morning session after breakfast, a midday break for lunch and siesta, an afternoon session, a dinner break, and occasional evening activities.
Also, interns will have the option to participate in guided yoga classes, group meditations, field trips, community service projects, sweat lodges, and more!
Weekends are free for exploring, joining a workshop, or resting.
Meals:
We have a simple, healthy diet, with 3 delicious wholesome meals daily. In our community kitchen space on working days, we take turns in the meal preparations and clean-up. We cook with with fruits and veggies from our gardens and from other local farms. On days off, you can collaborate with others to cook, make your own meal, or eat out in town. If you have specific dietary needs or restrictions, please mention it in your application.
Site, Lodging and Facilities:
This internship will take place in a rural community near Sauce, Uruguay, which is 1 hour from Montevideo and 1 hour from the beach. Here, two neighboring communities (started 20 years ago) are joined for the purpose of educating and skill-sharing, integrating Permaculture, health, natural construction, spirituality, and art-making (www.volviendoacasa.info).
The community (about 60 people, including children) shares 30 hectares of land, with a creek and wooded area. There is a small school, community buildings, and individual houses. The community is made up of a diverse group of people: doctors, community organizers, builders, bio-chemists, plant-medicine healers, therapists, etc.
Housing and Camping:
We have shared bedrooms in the community house, available on a first-come basis.
There is lots of space for camping. You will need to bring your own gear.
Community Spaces and Amenities:
We eat our meals together as a group one of the community houses.
There are community bathrooms with hot showers and dry composting toilets.
There is a sala/great room for personal practices (like yoga, tai chi or meditation), or for evening workshops.
There is a shared laundry machine or hand-washing, and there is a drop-off laundry service in town.
We have a shared Library with books on sustainability, Permaculture, gardeing, etc
Fun social activities with the community.
Course Languages: English and Spanish
Tuition Contribution:
US$1900
Includes the full 8-week course, instructions and workshops, accommodation, and meals.
Early Reservation Discount (confirming before Aug 1): US$1750
Camping discount available.
A non-refundable deposit will be due upon confirmation to reserve your spot. The remainder of your contribution can be paid upon arrival.
All contributions are greatly appreciated and go toward helping us provide community buildings and workshops.
How to apply
Considering the length and intensity of this program we would like to know more about you and make sure what we offer fits your needs. There are no prerequisites to participation, but we choose our interns carefully according to interests, passion for learning, commitment level, and personal skills. Also, the size of the group is limited to ensure that everyone can accomplish their individual learning needs. Participants will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Write a short letter introducing yourself, answering the following questions:
1) General information: What is your age, sex (if not obvious by your name), how do you occupy your time (work, school, etc.), and where do you live?2) What experience do you have with building and/or gardening/farming?3) Why do you want to participate in this program?4) How do you hope to integrate the experience/learning into your life?5) Describe your experience living and/or working in community.6) Do you have any emotional or health difficulties that are affecting your life now?7) Do you have any special dietary needs or allergies?8) What is your preferred accommodation?Please send your letter and any questions you may have to mama.roja@yahoo.com.
Course Facilitators:
Kimberly Gossett: Program Coordinator, Co-Founder of Mama Roja Project, Yoga Teacher, Meditator
Valentin Rivero: Program Coordinator, Co-Founder of La Tierrita Community and Volviendo a Casa, Artist and Clown
Lucia Pluma: Social Permaculturist, Liason for the Global Ecovillage Network (genecovillage.org...), Co-Founder of La Tierrita Community and Volviendo a Casa
Luciano Davyt: Natural Builder and Permaculturist, Co-Founder of La Tierrita Community and Volviendo a Casa
Leticia Cabrera: Natural Medicine Maker and Healer, Gardener Extraordinaire, Co-Founder of La Tierrita Community and Volviendo a Casa
Daniel Etulain: Yoga Instructor, Meditator, Natural Health Consultant, Co-Founder of La Comarca Community and Volviendo a Casa
Marta Bonora: Psychologist and Alternative Therapist, Co-Founder of La Comarca Community and Volviendo a Casa
...And other members of the community who will offer their expertise in weekly guest workshops and activities.
Who is the Internship for?
Anyone who:- Wants to connect with other like-minded people, with Nature, with themselves.
- Wants to explore gardening and food growing in a sub-tropical climate.
- Has taken courses in Natural Building and wants to continue experimenting.
- Has studied Environmental Sciences, has taken a Permaculture Design Course, or studied similar subjects, and wants to put their skills into practice.
- Has no self-reliancy skills, no gardening experience, or has never built out of Earth, but really wants to.
- Needs a pause from their routine, a time-out to try on a simple lifestyle.
- Wants to spend time living in a beautiful jungle, surrounded by trees, animals, rivers and waterfalls.
- Wants to improve health and well-being by living in harmony with the cycles of nature and a more natural rhythm.
- Wants to gain insight into personal gifts and have the opportunity to give them creative expression.
