Tervetuloa osallistumaan KVT:n leireille kesällä 2024! Lue lisää kotimaan leirille hakemisesta.

FI-KVT 4.1 Food Not Bombs 24.6. – 5.7.2024

Number of Volunteers: 10

Description: Food Not Bombs is an international campaign that works in hundreds of cities around the world. Food Not Bombs is trying to inspire the public to participate in changing and educating society by helping in a concrete way. The idea of the campaign is to focus our resources on solving problems like hunger, homelessness and poverty while seeking an end to war, continuous rearmament and the destruction of the environment. It works by giving out vegan meals in public places to anyone in need. The campaign is also closely connected to food waste issues, and much of the cooking is done with donated food.

Type of Work: During the camp, volunteers will organize approximately six meal-sharing events around Helsinki. The volunteers’ tasks include cooking, bringing the food to the event location, giving it out during the event, and cleaning up afterwards. Volunteers are also welcome to participate in announcing the meal-sharing events and collecting food donations. No special skills are needed.

Study Theme: There will be discussions on the history and ideology of the Food Not Bombs campaign, nonviolence, and social problems in Finland.

Accommodation: Volunteers will live at the Peace Station in Helsinki where many peace organisations reside. The accommodation is simple. A sleeping bag is required as volunteers will sleep on mattresses in a shared space. There are bathrooms, a kitchen, a shower and a sauna. The accommodation facilities and the nature of the work might be challenging for a person with physical disabilities, but their participation is warmly welcome. Families can apply to the camp if the lack of privacy is not a problem. The food will be mainly the same vegan food that is offered in the events around town.

Language: English

Location: Helsinki, the capital city of Finland.

Notes: Free-formatted motivation letter is required. Volunteers should express why they are interested in the camp and what they could benefit from participating in it. Volunteers should be interested in antimilitarism, nonviolence and peaceful conflict resolution.

We trust that the impact of our travels is a shared concern and if you can, please prefer more eco-friendly options than taking a plane.

We recommend double-checking that your insurance covers your travel costs in case of unlikely but possible camp cancellation.

Additional fee: Some SCI workcamps will have an additional fee of €50.00. This will cover e.g. international insurance costs of the volunteer and a small travel fund to enable disadvantaged volunteers to join projects. If you apply through a partner organization you will pay the fee directly to the hosting branch according to their instructions. Check here whether you’re applying through the SCI branch or partner: https://sci.ngo/about-us/our-movement/where-we-are

FI-KVT 10.1 River Restoration and Village Celebration 8.7. – 22.7.2024

Number of Volunteers: 12

Description: Tavastkenkä village in the Northern Ostrobothnia region is located between the towns of Oulu and Kajaani. The workcamp is organized by Tavastkenkä village association, which focuses on activities to promote the development of the village and local events. The volunteers will provide much-needed help with the restoration of the local river and the organization of the Tavastkenkä Village Days. The planned restoration aims to improve the reproductive conditions for trout and for recovery of fish stocks in the Siikajoki river.

Type of Work: In the first part of the camp, workcampers participate in the restoration of trout spawning beds in the Siikajoki river, which flows through the village. The work is part of an ongoing project to restore the Siikajoki River and help local species’ thrive. In the second half of the camp, the volunteers will participate in various ways in the Tavastkenkä Village Days (20 July) together with the villagers. Training, tools and the most necessary protective equipment will be provided by the organizer. A work supervisor will be present at all times. First aid kits are available at the work site.

Study Theme: Volunteers get to learn about local history. Several excursions are organized during the free time, to discover local nature, history, culture and livelihoods. Events with local people will also be organized during the camp.

Accommodation: The accommodation will be in the former village school of Tavastkenkä, which has shared rooms with women and men sleeping separately. There are only enough beds for a few volunteers. The rest will sleep on mattresses on the floor. Dining and leisure facilities and recreational facilities can be found in the Village Hall in the same courtyard. Both facilities have free wireless internet access. The school will also host about 30 seasonal strawberry pickers from the local farm. However, the school is large enough, so there is plenty of room for everyone.

Requirements: Since the accommodation space is not accessible and the work is quite physical, the workcamp can’t host people with disabilities, such as reduced mobility.

Approximate Location: Tavastkenkä, Northern Ostrobothnia.

Notes: Volunteers are recommended to bring their own rubber boots, which are good to have both for work and freetime. Mosquito repellent is also good to have.

We trust that the impact of our travels is a shared concern and if you can, please prefer more eco-friendly options than taking a plane.

We recommend double-checking that your insurance covers your travel costs in case of unlikely but possible camp cancellation.

Additional fee: Some SCI workcamps will have an additional fee of €50.00. The additional fee covers international insurance costs of the volunteer and a small travel fund to enable disadvantaged volunteers to join projects. If you apply through a partner organization, you will pay the fee directly to the hosting branch according to their instructions. Check here whether you’re applying through the SCI branch or partner: https://sci.ngo/about-us/our-movement/where-we-are

FI-KVT 12.1 Arts and Village Culture in Lapland 10.8. – 19.8.2024

Number of Volunteers: 10

Description: The camp takes place in the picturesque village of Kaukonen, around 100 km north of the region’s capital Rovaniemi. The workcamp is organized by local associations, who promote the village as a cultural space. The volunteers will help with the restoration of the village’s facilities for culture and arts.

The Ounasjoki river flows through the village, offering swimming, rowing and fishing opportunities. The camp takes place at the time of harvest so you’ll get a chance to enjoy locally sourced vegetables and go berry and mushroom picking (when picking mushrooms in nature it’s advised to have a person who can identify them with you) .There are also opportunities for hiking. The Särestöniemi, Palsa, and Raekallio museums are nearby.

Type of Work: Restoration and reparation of the village hall, a local artists’ residence and an event space. Volunteers will be given tasks like painting, tidying up and other restoration activities. Protective equipment will be provided by the organizer. A work supervisor with the necessary competencies will oversee the work of volunteers.

Study Theme: Volunteers will do a group assignment about villages as spaces for culture and arts in different parts of the world.

Accommodation: The accommodation has shared rooms with women and men sleeping separately. Beds, bed linen and pillows will be provided to the volunteers. Separate shower times will be arranged for male and female volunteers. The participants will make their own meals. Previous years volunteers have taken turns cooking food from their home countries for the whole group.

Language: English

Location: Kaukonen, Lapland, North of Finland

Notes: Volunteers are recommended to bring their own rubber boots as well as outdoor clothes suitable for painting. Mosquito repellent is good to have.

We trust that the impact of our travels is a shared concern and if you can, please prefer more eco-friendly options than taking a plane.

We recommend double-checking that your insurance covers your travel costs in case of unlikely but possible camp cancellation.

Additional fee: Some SCI workcamps will have an additional fee of €50.00. This will cover e.g. international insurance costs of the volunteer and a small travel fund to enable disadvantaged volunteers to join projects. If you apply through a partner organization you will pay the fee directly to the hosting branch according to their instructions. Check here whether you’re applying through the SCI branch or partner: https://sci.ngo/about-us/our-movement/where-we-are

FI-KVT 13.1 Lakeside Summer Camp; Building Community in a Historic Location 19.8. – 27.8.2024

Number of Volunteers: 10

Description: The Vähäsilta camp center is in an idyllic location on the shores of a lake, just half an hour’s drive from the city center of Tampere, one of Finland’s largest and most vibrant cities. In this workcamp, volunteers will participate in the maintenance of the camp center.

The owner of the center, TampereMissio, lets non-profit organizations in the Pirkanmaa region use the camp center free of charge, which means that the usage rate is high throughout the summer. To make this possible, several collective work sessions are held at the center every year. These work sessions will, in the summer of 2024, partially be replaced by this international workcamp.

Type of Work: The tasks of volunteers are related to the maintenance of the property, including mowing the lawns, chopping firewood, cleaning and pruning bushes. The tasks do not require special skills. The camp hosts will provide guidance and take care of work safety.

Study Theme: TampereMissio is a non-profit social work organization. Volunteers will learn about the organization’s activities in the camp center. An introduction to TampereMissio’s various activities in Tampere is also possible to organize, depending on the interests of volunteers. The camp center is located a 50 min. bus ride from the city center.

Accommodation: The accommodation is in shared rooms with women and men sleeping separately. Beds, bed linen and pillows will be provided to the volunteers. Separate shower times will be arranged for male and female volunteers. Vähäsilta has a large, two-story, more than 100-year-old main building. On the ground floor, there are dining rooms, a large kitchen and water toilets (one with disabled dimensions). The ground floor of the main building is accessible. The accommodation space is on the upper floor, which is not accessible.

Requirements: Since the accommodation space is not accessible, the workcamp can’t host people with disabilities, such as reduced mobility.

Approximate Location: Tampere, Pirkanmaa region.

Notes: In the evenings, volunteers can to go to the sauna and swim in the lake. There is also a rowboat and life vests. The camp center has one bicycle that can be borrowed by volunteers.

We trust that the impact of our travels is a shared concern and if you can, please prefer more eco-friendly options than taking a plane.

We recommend double-checking that your insurance covers your travel costs in case of unlikely but possible camp cancellation.

Additional fee: Some SCI workcamps will have an additional fee of €50.00. The additional fee covers international insurance costs of the volunteer and a small travel fund to enable disadvantaged volunteers to join projects. If you apply through a partner organization, you will pay the fee directly to the hosting branch according to their instructions. Check here whether you’re applying through the SCI branch or partner: https://sci.ngo/about-us/our-movement/where-we-are

FI-KVT 8.1 Natural Living and Aging With Wisdom 18.8. – 30.8.2024

Number of Volunteers: 7

Description: Äijälä is situated near Jyväskylä in Central Finland. The community’s aim is to support its clients in their everyday life and life management. The community works with organic gardening and it has a charming old farmhouse that has been renovated to host disabled people for daily visits and during the holidays. Äijälä also offers supportive work activities for long-term unemployed people and preserves traditional culture and working methods. Äijälä has been hosting KVT workcamps since 1980.

Type of Work: This is a new kind of nature and heritage camp for older people.

The first week volunteers are going to be involved in Äijälä’s own activities. During the second week they will work together with an association for elderly people. Volunteers will assist the elderly participants both on a physical and mental level. The work will involve accompanying them in exploring the surrounding nature, in enjoying the garden and working in it. By participating in the daily activities of the Äijälä, volunteers can help the elderly reminisce about a time when almost everything was done at home and share similar experiences from their home countries. 

Study Theme: Aging with wisdom; ecological & natural living. 

Accommodation: In shared rooms in a 200-year-old wooden farmhouse, the main building of the farm. Volunteers with disabilities are welcome too but should be aware that moving around the house or garden can require some assistance (there are e.g. doorsteps and sand & grass in the garden).

Language: English

Location: Jyskä, near Jyväskylä

Notes: Please bring with you clothes that are suitable for outdoor work and moving in nature.

We trust that the impact of our travels is a shared concern and if you can, please prefer more eco-friendly options than taking a plane.

Some SCI workcamps will have an additional fee of €50.00. This will cover e.g. international insurance costs of the volunteer and a small travel fund to enable disadvantaged volunteers to join projects. If you apply through a partner organization you will pay the fee directly to the hosting branch according to their instructions. Check here whether you’re applying through the SCI branch or partner: https://sci.ngo/about-us/our-movement/where-we-are

FI-KVT 11.1 Autumn Harvest & Human and Animal Well-being 2.9. – 16.9.2024

Number of Volunteers: 8

Description: Elonkierto is an agricultural exhibition park and petting zoo in Southern Finland that gives you an insight in the history and present of food production. In this workcamp you will learn about sustainable food production and the relationship between human, animal and environmental well-being and get to engage in storytelling around these issues. 

Type of Work: You will be taking care of the animals living in the park, participating in harvesting and processing of the harvested vegetables, organizing product demonstrations and tastings, running a summer café and organizing a market stall. Volunteers will be provided with hand tools for handling vegetables and taking care of the animals.

Study Theme: Two workshops: 1) Making the global food system more sustainable, challenges and different perspectives related to this. 2) Livestock welfare and animal and human interaction.

Accommodation and food: The accommodation will be in beds, with bed linen and pillows provided. The volunteers will cook their own food. There are lots of hiking opportunities in the area. In your free time it’s also possible to do canoeing, cycling, berry picking, mushroom picking and visiting nearby towns, going to the movies etc. 

Language: English

Requirements: The workcamp can’t host people with disabilities, such as reduced mobility. 

Location: Jokioinen, close to Forssa.

Notes: Volunteers are recommended to bring their own work clothes (overalls preferred) and rubber boots. Please bring warm enough clothes and rain clothes, since September can already be chilly in Finland. 

We prefer sustainable travel (e.g. by train, bus rather than plane). 

Additional fee: Some SCI workcamps will have an additional fee of €50.00. The additional fee covers international insurance costs of the volunteer and a small travel fund to enable disadvantaged volunteers to join projects. If you apply through a partner organization, you will pay the fee directly to the hosting branch according to their instructions. Check here whether you’re applying through the SCI branch or partner: https://sci.ngo/about-us/our-movement/where-we-are