Holistic life on a permaculture farm in an indigenous community

Spain

5

I had an amazing time at the Center. Over the month I spent here, I learnt an innumerable amount of skills, and every day was full of exciting activities and lots of laughs. Simon and Jessica are a joy to spend time with. Anyone coming to this project can expect a good balance of work and relaxation, access to amazing places such as some majestic waterfalls, and the opportunity to spend time in Mizque for some cultural exploration. Simon will go out of his way to provide learning opportunities, and I strongly recommend trying his holistic living course. Overall, a 10/10 experience!

almost 2 years ago

Canada

4

Simon and Jessica are really generous people! They welcomed me in their home, and in their family with open arms. They provide a great learning experience, and are always very patient with their volunteers. They respect the working hours and provide amazing, fresh and healthy ingredients to cook. I would definitely recommend this experience, for anyone looking to learn more about sustainability and eco friendly agriculture!

over 1 year ago

United Kingdom

4

Simon and Jessica have built a permaculture farm from the ground up and it's incredible to see how far they've come. You interact with the locals and the community and so get a very Bolivian experience. Simon's beliefs are definitely outside of mainstream political discourse, which makes for interesting conversations if you're happy to engage. It's important to note Simon has traditional views of gender orientation and roles, women's capabilities and responsibilities. There are some challenges to face here, but if you love permaculture, animals and cooking, it's a lovely place to be.

almost 2 years ago

Simon replied

Georgie was the only volunteer here and the expectation was for her to help largely with chores and cooking due to what was going on with the home birth. She was also assigned physical tasks which she did well.

There are many tasks that I do on the farm that are heavy work even for me. As such I don't assign them to those for which it would be a struggle irrespective of sex. That does mean that I normally leave the head work for house maintenance to my partner as I am otherwise fully engaged.

While Georgie was here I helped deliver the baby and took my turn cleaning and cooking like everyone else. That is hardly of a strict tradionalist.

This is the second review Georgie has left around gender belief differences. I suggest she participates in such conversations versus remaining silent and publicly judging via review afterwards. Who knows... perhaps we would learn something too!

Mexico

5

The volunteering was really great, I met wonderful people, I learned a lot and had fun. The food was great. They respect the work hours. The only thing is that I think the announcement has to be more clear, this is because this is a permaculture course, and with that comes all the classes and things they offer in the profile, but it has a cost (195 USD). So if you don't pay for the course you don't get the yoga classes and the other knowledge and information that appears in here. You can say no to the course, and only work as volunteer, but u have to pay $100 Bolivians per week for the food

about 2 years ago

Simon replied

All of this information is made clear to applicants and is on the displayed information for volunteer roles. Course participants get to enjoy a full week of learning permaculture, including pizza night in a rocket oven, a yoga class, back massage techniques, applied kineseology and a whole lot more. Course participants also dont have to contribure for food supplement on volunteer weeks allowing them to practice what they learned.

We greatly appreciate attendees as they allow us to teach our passion which is permaculture and help make what we do sustainable! Thank you again for your time with us Natalia. All the best.

United Kingdom

5

Jessica and Simon made me and my boyfriend Kez feel so so welcome during our three week stay. We took the course which was really informative and interesting - including both theory and practical. A typical morning (when it's hot weather) is waking up at 6am to feed the animals and then maybe doing some weeding or gardening before breakfast. The food provided is excellent quality and healthy! We then continue work until 11am. Hours are respected, breaks are given and support is continuously given throughout. We also really enjoyed our yoga class with Jess! Thank you both again!

about 2 years ago

United Kingdom

5

Simon & Jessica were the most amazing hosts during our 3 week stay at their permaculture farm. Each day offered us a chance to learn something new, from tending to the animals (ducks, chickens, rabbits and dogs) to learning about construction. It was a real opportunity for us to step out of our comfort zone and put in some real hard work! The 1 week course also offered an even deeper understanding of permaculture life, going into detail on subjects such as water management, creating an instant garden, holistic medicine and so much more. Thank you again Simon & Jessica for everything!

about 2 years ago

Brazil

5

It was great to be in Mizque, I really liked the city and the residents. Simon welcomed me very well!

over 2 years ago

Spain

4

I volunteered at the centre for two weeks. Simon and Jessica are great, the schedules are kept and the work is varied. I shared the days off with other volunteers and went by car to the river and waterfall to pass the heat and drought of November. I think it should be clarified that some of the activities that appear in their profile (for example meals or yoga classes) are just included in the permaculture course (195$) and need to be paid separately for volunteers. Food is 100 bs per week and is absolutely worth it. (fresh, varied, healthy). Thank you both so much for everything! 🥰

about 2 years ago

Simon replied

We have since notified Worldpackers that the way their system prompts hosts to display available services gets mispresented as free to prospective volunteers.
We are very clear with what is and what isnt included before anyone arrives including with you. They are resolving this issue now.

As an aside, I went out of my way to teach you carpentry and support you over 2 mornings to make the door which would have taken me 30 minutes to make. There is no mention of such in your review. It can make a host feel unappreciated and recalcitrant to make such efforts over and above the agreed free exchange. Please bear this in mind in the future.

Germany

4

We spend 3 really nice weeks on the beautiful farm of Simon and Jessica. The food was always fresh and tasty. We know, by so many people around, it can get difficult to keep the places clean, but the kitchen could be a little bit tidier. We really enjoyed the company of all the other people around. We also learned a lot in the course, but missed a little the focus on gardening. Simon and Jessica where always helpful and welcoming and showed us great places, like canyons, rivers and waterfalls. We would defently recommend a stay with them.

over 2 years ago

Germany

4

The stay with Jessica and Simon was overall very pleasant. The work was well organized. Above all, the people and the daily fresh food were phenomenal. Unfortunately, we had to make small cuts in terms of cleanliness. We also found that the money spent on the course was not very worthwhile. We would have liked more information about gardening or plants and a little less political ideologies. We would still recommend the farm. The great Pizza night, the arm wrestling tournament, movie nights, plenty of games and amazing Tipps for waterfalls and hiking tours have been totaly worth it.

over 2 years ago

Simon replied

Thanks for your feedback on the course and other item. We have since put in place a schedule for cleaning of shared areas involving the volunteers. The course has also been modified to provide much more focus on plants, garden planning and gardening techniques with a lot more practical for that. The discussion around changing belief systems, the cycle and grief and societal solutions has been made an optional as we understand that, for some people, it is too hard to discuss openly.

Apply Now