Gardening
Care of the green spaces, sowing, watering, harvesting. The mandala garden, the Tempio delle Sementi (Seed Temple), the areas around the dwellings.
From two weeks to several months: room and board in exchange for hands in the fields, in the woods, on the trails, in the kitchen. You arrive through WWOOF, Worldpackers or Workaway. You leave having learned something you don't learn anywhere else.
Every day is different. The day's plan is built around what the place needs in that moment.
Care of the green spaces, sowing, watering, harvesting. The mandala garden, the Tempio delle Sementi (Seed Temple), the areas around the dwellings.
Meal preparation, tidying, supporting community and event meals. Vegetarian, zero-km whenever possible.
Small repairs, care of the structures, constant attention to the place. Keeping a composed place alive is daily care.
Active building sites: new superadobe dome, trails, infrastructure. You learn by doing, guided by those who know.
Care of the hens and the cats that live at Gaya. Nothing complicated — but daily.
Educational activities, social media, event support, community — every day brings something you didn't expect. That's part of the pact.
"Five hours a day with your hands in the earth. The rest of the time, you live with those who live Gaya."
Flexible hours, agreed based on your availability and the work in progress.
Sunday off by default. Days off can be moved around to explore the area.
No maximum for longer guests: if both sides are happy, you stay.
Ingredients for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Volunteers prepare the meals.
As a volunteer you sleep in a private wooden cabin, surrounded by nature and silence. When we host events or retreats, you may sleep in a shared dorm or a stilt-cabin — always with blankets, fresh sheets and pillows.
Shared bathroom with gas water heater (hot water always). Equipped industrial kitchen and a wood-fired oven for bread and rustic pizzas. Hot water also from indoor taps. At the centre of the place, the yoga dome for daily practice.
Wi-Fi via Starlink, fast. Phone signal depends on the carrier. You can work if you need to, or unplug if you want to. Both work here.
The national grid doesn't reach Gaya. We have 6 kW of photovoltaic panels with 15 kW of battery storage, plus solar thermal panels in bathrooms, kitchen and the Seme dwelling for hot water. There's almost always electricity for everything — occasionally, after several heavily clouded days in a row, it's worth saving a bit.
For those coming from hyper-connected cities, it's a small practice. For those looking for disconnection, that's exactly the point.
We're in Milanesi, a hamlet of Calanna (RC), in a rural area about 25 km from Reggio Calabria and 15 km from Villa San Giovanni. The countryside is beautiful — public transport is limited. Plan accordingly.
Piazza Garibaldi railway station, the region's main hub, connected to all Calabrian airports (Reggio Airport and Lamezia Terme International) and to Villa San Giovanni for those arriving from Sicily. The bus stop for Milanesi is in front of Farmacia Garibaldi, 100 metres from the station.
Updated timetable at autolineefederico.selfip.com:8080 (search Calanna as destination)
Once your application is confirmed through the platform, we'll give you exact directions for the last stretch from Milanesi to Gaya.
You're in the countryside. Dress as one dresses in the countryside: clothes you can get dirty (you'll need them), closed shoes or boots (essential, no sandals in the fields). And don't forget the small personal things: soap, shampoo, towel, toothpaste, toothbrush.
We provide the vegetarian ingredients — you cook with us or on your own. If you'd like, bring your own snacks too. And if you want to bring something from your country — food, a book, a game, a musical instrument — it will be very welcome.
We're listed on three international networks. Pick the one you know or feel most comfortable with — the substance is the same.
The historic network of organic-farm volunteers (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). For those already members, or who want to join.
Find Gaya on wwoof.it →Global platform, younger and international audience. Mutual reviews, verified profiles.
Find Gaya on worldpackers.com →The largest community of cultural exchange and volunteering. 170 countries involved.
Find Gaya on workaway.info →We accept volunteer applications exclusively through the three platforms. It's a choice that protects everyone: registrations, profiles, reviews and insurance are handled by the platforms, and we can focus on what counts — the experience at Gaya.