Description

Imagine a village built completely from natural, local, and recycled materials. That is what the Sagol Village is, featuring many trees, and blissful eco-pools. Sagol-Eco Village was created by a young couple with a dream of uniting hundreds of people with the unique goal of bettering themselves through an explicit connection to the earth and to one another.

The small community welcomes GoEco volunteers with open arms! You will immediately feel at home, especially when you get the opportunity to live like the locals; get dirty, have fun, and build reliable structures, all with dirt, water, and recyclable materials.

During the project, volunteers will be involved with the daily tasks of the Sagol Community. Volunteer activities on the village will include:

- Building new volunteer huts from mud and earth
- Helping to design new sections of the village
- Baking bread over a stone fire
- Assisting with cleaning and cooking duties in the village

Working with earth is completely different to working with cement, acrylic plastering and other materials. Earth is a durable material that can be revived and endure a long sculpturing process. The process is also a lot of fun!

You will be expected to work for about 6 hours per day and you will have one day off per week to discover the area or enjoy the facilities of the village.

Location: Moshav sde zvi in the Negev

Highlights

After work hours, volunteers can enjoy this unique region, relax by the eco pool and under the stars. Volunteers will recieve 1 day off a week to explore other regions of Israel such as Tel Aviv, a city with one of the best nightlives in the world, and Jerusalem, the holy city.

There is much to explore in Israel, and because Israel is such a small country nothing is too far away! Go relax by the historic sea of Galilee, party in Eilat on the Red Sea, or float in the Dead Sea. Hike the National Trail through the desert, hit the beaches of Haifa or Tel Aviv, tour the dozens of historic sights in Jerusalem.

Travel Types

• Ecology
• Environmental Studies
• Volunteering

Qualifications

- Conversational English or Hebrew
- Good physical fitness
- Strong work ethic
- Motivation to do physical and demanding work
- Able to work in desert climate
- Able to live in basic conditions
- Highly independent
- Full travel and medical insurance
- Immunizations (please consult your doctor)

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

400 for for 2 - 8 weeks

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Registration fees
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

- Training: GoEco volunteer and travel orientation in Jerusalem
- Accommodation: Basic tipi or hut
- Food: Extra 100 NIS (around USD 30) per week, to be paid upon arrival
- Support: Pre-departure assistance, local in-country team and 24hr emergency support

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Building Maintenance
• Conservation
• Eco-tourism
• Energy
• Environment
• Volunteering

Typical Volunteer

Volunteers with GoEco are united by their passion for travel and desire to help people. Our volunteers are from all over the world, representing a host of religions, cultures, and languages. Ultimately, GoEco volunteers are fun-loving, adventurous, and outgoing agents for change.

Age Range

18-70

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Guest House

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 5

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Phone/Video Interview

GoEco - Volunteer Abroad's Mission Statement

(1) Encourage ecological and volunteer tourism that promotes sustainable development (2) Enable travelers to experience different and more rewarding kinds of tourism. (3) Encourage travelers to volunteer for the benefit of others and thus to serve as a good-will ambassador to other countries in the world. (4) Encourage travelers from all over the world to come to Israel for ecological and community-based projects, in both the Arab and Jewish sectors, and experience firsthand the unique cultural and natural diversity in this region. (5) Support environmental and humanitarian projects that promote understanding and good will between ethnic societies in Israel. (6) Conduct further research in the field of ecological tourism, such as the 'Ecological Footprint' as a tool for sustainable tourism development. (7) Establish an in-depth and up-to-date data base of the relevant projects worldwide. (8) Create a platform from which to explore the various organizations that support the environment and actively encourage volunteering.

Year Founded

2005