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Maki 2 (Nagano) | NICE-20-1014A | 2020-10-14 - 2020-10-25 | AGRI,MANU | Age: 18 - 99

This project is actively working for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDGs 10 (Reduced Inequalities), organized together with Kyodo Gakusha since 2000, a cooperative community where about people with various backgrounds such as mentally disadvantaged, people who are tired of city life, who wants to learn farming, just want to live in the nature, etc. They have 5 communities in Tokyo, Nagano and Hokkaido and grow animals and vegetables in ecological, organic way with utilizing bacterium and charcoal. Maki Farm has about 10 members (including 2 families with small children!) and is in a very isolated area (not accessible for cars and we have to walk 4 km in the mountains), so once it became an abandon village in 1970s and revived by the community. *Outcome of this workcamp: In 2019, 7 vols. from 4 countries greatly contributed to their farming and caring animals that was difficult to finish by the time they needed without volunteers! There was also nice exchange between Community people and vols. Please see https://www.slideshare.net/nice-workcamp/e4-54764427 for the long-term goal of this project as Local SDGs at (only Japanese for the moment, but you can at least enjoy the pictures!)

Work: Volunteers will help their organic farm by cutting thatch, threshing rice, selecting beans, taking care of goats and chicken and also carry the things from the town, renovate the trails, help their house works especially cooking, etc. Be ready to work for quite a long time (05:30-18:00 with some brakes) and hard.

Accomodation and food: Building for the volunteers in the farm. Very beautiful cultural heritage! Meals will be cooked by volunteers together with the community people by turns. Sleeping bag is not necessary.

Location: Otari, Nagano

Location and Leisure: Very isolated, but beautiful place near “Japanese Northern Alps”. About 900 meters asl. There is something remained here that most of Japanese areas have lost in modernization. Leisure: Exchange program, Excursion on a free day (possibly to Hakuba, a famous tourism spot), etc. Study theme: Similar type of communities in each country and their networking

Train/Bus station: The nearest international airport is Tokyo. From Tokyo to the meeting point near the project, it takes 5 hours by express bus. Volunteers need to arrive at the airport in Tokyo (Narita or Haneda) by 04:00 on Oct. 14 and can leave there after 24:00 on Oct. 25.

Requirements: Good Japanese language is not necessary, but still welcomed. Volunteers need to be physically strong and flexible to respect the way of the local host. Motivation letter is needed!

Language: eng

Extra Fee: 6000 JPY

The popular documentary film for this place was broadcasted in 2015 at arayashiki-movie.jp/en/.