The project
The centre organises national camps that invite guests of all ages to share spaces, time, and reflections while living together in a communal setting. Participants take on different roles within the project: they may cook for guests, plan activities, provide interpretation for international participants, or take part as guests themselves. While camps for minors focus mainly on educational activities, adult camps aim to foster new ways of thinking that enrich the project as a whole. In recent years, the camps have explored themes such as environment and sustainability, intersectionality and equality, and community, connecting these topics with pedagogy, theology, economics, and ecology.
During this workcamp, there will be a national camp for kids (14-17 yo), two camps for adults, two workshops (about masculine homosexual identity and intersectional transfeminism); a camp for families and the assembly of Agape.
In Agape there will be more volunteer teams and a group of guests (around 100 people total). The teams, with different tasks, cooperate to provide a service to the guests: a Camp. Your team will help the Resident Group (volunteers living here) with the daily tasks. More teams from other projects will help you. Another team, the Staff, will lead activities for the guests’ camp.
Daily tasks divide in 4 sectors:
Kitchen: Cook for the community! Taking care of lunch and dinner. You’ll work in a professional kitchen. Team of 8 people, listening to music and peeling potatoes;
Cleaning of communal areas: Preparing rooms for new arrivals. Taking care of outdoor areas. More teams of 4 people on different areas;
Bar: Serving coffees and more to your friends during the coordinated common breaks;
Service: Serve breakfast for the community, prepare the hall for meals, and dry dishes. Our professional dishwasher does most of the dirty work!
Volunteers will work in 2-3 sectors during the camp, for 5-6 hours a day. There is one free day each 5 working days.
Accommodation & food
Volunteers will be accommodated within the center in shared rooms hosting 3-4 people. Rooms are generally gender-separated and furnished with single bunk beds. Bathroom facilities are shared and located close to the sleeping areas, ensuring easy access for everyone.
Meals are an important moment of community life at the center. Volunteers and guests eat together in the main dining hall, sharing both food and time. The menu is designed to accommodate different dietary needs and preferences, offering a varied selection that combines traditional Italian cuisine with international recipes. Breakfast follows a typical Italian style and is mostly sweet.
Within the center, volunteers can enjoy snacks and drinks at the bar, free Wi-Fi in the common areas, access to a washing machine, and a shared refrigerator reserved for volunteers.
A small town is located nearby and offers basic shops for everyday needs, although the local pharmacy is not open every day.
Location & leisure
Located in the heart of the Val Germanasca, in the Italian Alps, the center is a remarkable structure that reflects the character of its natural surroundings. Built from local stone and wood, carefully shaped by generations of volunteers, the building forms a large and welcoming house that harmonizes beautifully with the mountain landscape, preserving the authentic spirit of the valley. The area offers countless opportunities for hiking, with trails suitable for different levels and interests. The nearby town provides a variety of restaurants, cafés, and sports facilities, making it easy to relax or stay active during your free time. For those interested in culture and history, several local museums can be visited, and it is also possible to join a guided tour of the historic talc mines in the surrounding area.
Project host
The camp is organised by Lunaria in collaboration with the Waldensian Ecumenical Centre Agape. Agape Centro Ecumenico is a social center that originated after World War II from the ideas of the Waldensian pastor Tullio Vinay in 1947. Its core values of reconciliation and reconstruction continue to shape the center’s identity and activities. The center promotes communal living, volunteer work, and international cooperation, supported by a worldwide community of volunteers who actively contribute to its mission.
Interested?
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