Youth Exchange in Los Portales (July 2024)
For the first two weeks of July, we welcomed eighteen young people from Armenia, Italy and Spain for a Youth Exchange in Los Portales.
Sustainability and inclusion, two living realities !
With this project we will try to provide them with practical solutions to some of the questions that many of them are probably asking themselves. Through an experience of multigenerational and multicultural coexistence, in an organisation that has been sustaining a space of harmonious coexistence for 40 years, they will have the opportunity to increase their awareness of their impact on the planet; to take responsibility in the group, strengthening their self-esteem and sense of leadership; and to develop social and personal emotional management skills.
During two weeks, they discovered what sustainability means with a direct and real experience, in a multicultural and multigenerational environment, based on inclusion and respect for diversity. On a large farm surrounded by wildlife, they participated in activities in the middle of nature, such as marking out paths that facilitate the exploration of the different ecosystems, the construction of a compost toilet and a stone wall for a bio-construction hut. They were also able to help prepare meals, help out in the vegetable garden or with the animals, always accompanied by the local inhabitants.
All this has been made possible thanks to the support of the European Union.
Here is the logbook they wrote during their stay.
Tuesday, July 2
The first day of the Youth Exchange activities started with several talks: the first one on the dry toilet project, where we could understand what it was all about; the second one on the paths we were going to mark out in nature; and the third one on fire prevention. This talk was led by two volunteer firemen from the town of Castilblanco de los Arroyos, who shared very important and useful information for our safety.
In the afternoon, the workshops scheduled for the two weeks began and we could start to discover the different dimensions of sustainability.
Wednesday, July 3
The day starts really early in Los Portales: pretty much as soon as the sun comes up you can see the people of the community being active in the kitchen cutting vegetables all together in harmony with the nature and with themselves: no rush and pace even this early in the morning: it is so inspiring to see their commitment and hear their stories for someone coming from the city.
Then, I am off to watch the goats and the people milking them both from the Youth Exchange and the community: It is so good to see the process behind the food that we eat every day and people learning It.
After I join the children for breakfast in the nature: they eat on the rocks freely without any worry, in pace with nature. We speak even if i don’t know any Spanish through games like papers, rocks and scissors and they ask about Italian and Armenians.
Overall, a great start!
Thursday, July 4
The kitchen was a small, sunlit room.The table at the center bore the marks of countless meals prepared with love. The atmosphere was warm, not just because of the stove but also due to the camaraderie that filled the air. Beans, potatoes, and pumpkin—simple ingredients that held the promise of hearty, wholesome meals.
As the dishes took shape, so did the conversations. The kitchen was a hub of interaction—a place where stories were shared alongside recipes. In the midst of the culinary symphony, I found myself drawn into the rhythm. I chopped herbs. The cooks welcomed my curiosity, sharing their knowledge generously.
Friday, July 5
Today, I had the pleasure of visiting a goat farm and observing bio-construction activities. Watching the baby goats eagerly reunite with their mothers after milking was a heartwarming experience. Following that, I observed an inspiring group of women working on a bio-toilet construction project. They demonstrated impressive teamwork, skillfully building walls, creating ventilation tubes, and beginning the installation of windows. It was fascinating to see sustainable practices in action and the sense of community among the builders.
Tuesday, July 9
Today is Tuesday 9th July and as any other day in Los Portales we are splitting into groups of people to work in the community.
The day started with very fresh temperature and people quickly went each one to their way. In the first place I followed the bio construction group to their corner space. They were finishing building the first wall of stacked wood poles and started the other side. They already were programming a space for a window. There were Rosa, Laura, Vladimir, Lisa and of course the head of construction Zuzu. Afterwards I moved to the pool place where Nushik and Sofia were cleaning: with the help of the kids they also took off the birthday decorations that were left from saturday night party. After they finished the kids stayed and had their breakfast with homemade bread and cheese.
Then they all went together to prepare the main house for the hot hours by closing all the windows and doors.
Thanks to the explanation of the young girl Paloma we managed to close the awnings correctly. We ended the morning with the ‘process work’ workshop which was very touching and self character developing moment.
Wednesday, July 10
As always, the atmosphere in the kitchen was very warm. Everyone helped each other. I like kitchen conversations very much.
Friday, July 12
Last day of Youth Exchange at Los Portales. We are all super happy and can’t wait for tonight’s party. It will be an intercultural celebration filled with folk dances. For the last morning of activities, everything is progressing smoothly. Some people are finishing the compost toilet, which is almost complete. Others are preparing lunch in the kitchen. Some are cleaning the pool for the last few days of swimming. And some are preparing the picnic with the children, which will take place along one of the paths we created together.
The chosen path for the picnic with the children offers the most beautiful views and panoramas of the ecovillage. After preparing the picnic, we start heading towards this path. The path is named after the trees found along it, which are also the trees that are a symbol of the city of Madrid, the Madroños.
During the walk, we are two Italian girls, two children, and an Armenian girl. We realize that even though we don’t speak the same language, what unites us is this bond with the children. It’s very strong and a lot of fun. We have a wonderful morning among the mountain and ecovillage landscapes. We enjoy a sandwich with chocolate and a cocoa drink. Finally, we arrive at a small, high clearing where we find a shaded spot to sit and enjoy our picnic.
Although there seem to be some communication problems initially, we eventually realize that what unites us is the ability to exchange our cultures. We learned how to say hello in Armenian, for example, which is «Barev,» meaning hello sun, hello enlightened person, hello luminous person. It was very interesting, and once again, we realized that when we try to include and immerse ourselves in a culture, no matter how different we may be, a very beautiful and powerful connection can emerge.