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Agape 2

Prali, Piedmont, Italy

In partnership with

The camp is organised by Lunaria in collaboration with the Waldensian Ecumenical Centre Agape.
Agape Centro Ecumenico is a social center that originated after World War II from the ideas of the Waldensian pastor Tullio Vinay in 1947. Its core values of reconciliation and reconstruction continue to shape the center’s identity and activities. The center promotes communal living, volunteer work, and international cooperation, supported by a worldwide community of volunteers who actively contribute to its mission.


Description of the Work

In Agape there will be more volunteer teams and a group of guests (around 100 people total). The teams, with different tasks, cooperate to provide a service to the guests: a Camp. Your team will help the Resident Group (volunteers living here) in the daily tasks. More teams from other projects will help you. Another team, the Staff, will lead activities for the guest’s Camp.
Daily tasks divide in 4 sectors:
* Kitchen: Cook for the community! Taking care of lunch and dinner. You’ll work in a professional kitchen. Team of 8 people, listening to music and.. peeling potatoes;
* Cleaning of communal areas: Preparing rooms for new arrivals. Taking care of outdoor areas. More teams of 4 people on different areas;
* Bar: Serving coffees and more to your friends during the coordinated common breaks;
* Service: Serve the breakfast for the community, prepare the hall for meals, and dry dishes. Our professional dishwasher does most of the dirty work!
Volunteers will work in 2-3 sectors during the camp, for 5-6 hours a day. There is one free day each 5 working days.


Accommodation & Food

Volunteers will be accommodated within the center in shared rooms hosting 3-4 people. Rooms are generally gender-separated and furnished with single bunk beds. Bathroom facilities are shared and located close to the sleeping areas, ensuring easy access for everyone.
Meals are an important moment of community life at the center. Volunteers and guests eat together in the main dining hall, sharing both food and time. The menu is designed to accommodate different dietary needs and preferences, offering a varied selection that combines traditional Italian cuisine with international recipes. Breakfast follows a typical Italian style and is mostly sweet.
Within the center, volunteers can enjoy snacks and drinks at the bar, free Wi-Fi in the common areas, access to a washing machine, and a shared refrigerator reserved for volunteers.
A small town is located nearby and offers basic shops for everyday needs, although the local pharmacy is not open every day.


Location & Leisure

Located in the heart of the Val Germanasca, in the Italian Alps, the center is a remarkable structure that reflects the character of its natural surroundings. Built from local stone and wood, carefully shaped by generations of volunteers, the building forms a large and welcoming house that harmonizes beautifully with the mountain landscape, preserving the authentic spirit of the valley. The area offers countless opportunities for hiking, with trails suitable for different levels and interests. The nearby town provides a variety of restaurants, cafés, and sports facilities, making it easy to relax or stay active during your free time. For those interested in culture and history, several local museums can be visited, and it is also possible to join a guided tour of the historic talc mines in the surrounding area.


Requirements

Volunteers will work individually among the staff and the other local volunteers in the different sectors.
Travel to Agape can be complicated, being in a very isolated place.


Appointment



Host Organization

Lunaria is an association started in 1992 carrying out research, information, training and actions on social economy, immigration, globalization, youth and seniors programmes and voluntary service. Our activities include •youth projects: information and participation, intercultural understanding, non formal education •promotion of international voluntary service for all, with activities for the European voluntary service: youth and senior volunteers exchanges. International workcamps and solidarity activities •campaigns, building coalitions of civil society groups for alternative priorities in public expenditure, expanding the third sector, North-South solidarity, integration of immigrants •research, with projects on employment and work in the social economy, ethical finance, immigrants, globalization •services, advising non profit organizations on law, fiscal and financial opportunities •training, with courses on the social economy, managing non profit organizations and understanding globalization The purpose of our work is to bring together understanding and action; social rights and voluntary activities; the local and the global. Lunaria organizes workcamps all around Italy, in partnership with local groups, associations, municipalities and other bodies. We promote not-for-profit projects, for the benefit of the local communities and to fight racism and increase intercultural exchanges. “We ask to the international volunteers to commit themselves in the mission of the hosting projects, having an open mind, and arriving aware that the accommodation conditions may not be suitable for those looking for cheap and comfortable holidays. Every project is made by many factors, and we need from the volunteers a problem-solving approach.â€