The testimony of Sophia in Kora the last summer.

Sophia arrived from Germany last summer and spent a month and a half in La Buona Terra, Italy, volunteering for Associazione Kora in farm activities and non-formal education projects.

The project is funded by the European Commission through the European Solidarity Corps program and the Italian Agency for Youth.

This is her experience!

“I always wanted to volunteer and help out for a good cause but I never was sure how to do so and also where to put my energy into. Through a lot of luck, I found out about the EU mobility programs and then went to some youth exchanges, which made me more and more excited about the idea of non-formal education and peer-to-peer learning. After a while, I found amazing people, who already volunteered with the European Solidarity Corps and who recommended it a lot to me. So I decided to try it out for myself. And I could not be happier about this decision!

I can still clearly recall what I felt when I arrived at the farm- peace. It was a sunny afternoon and when I was looking around I was just so astounded by the beauty of my surroundings. I could not believe that I was going to live here for the summer. But so soon I not only felt peace at the farm but also came to live with all the extraordinary people living up on that hill. And shortly after, this place felt like a home far away from home.

But maybe you’re asking yourself, what did Sophia do besides being amazed by nature and the people? The answer is A LOT. From common cooking to office work to building an eco-friendly house to co-facilitating a youth exchange to woodwork to visiting the cities around.

There was never a time when I felt bored because there was always something to do on the farm- either work-wise or with the other creative volunteers.

So to sum it up, if you are interested in widening your horizon, learning more about yourself and others, and putting your energy into this beautiful farm while also being challenged, I would recommend this experience to you!”