My volunteer work at the ashram in Thailand

Arrival | arrival

At the airport in Bangkok, I shared a taxi to the city with three other passengers. The taxi driver didn't know where the given address was and didn't really speak English either, but somehow we communicated and found the accommodation. It's always helpful to know the host's name! My first accommodation was super centrally located. For the next three days I explored my immediate surroundings with the help of Google Maps and got used to the high temperatures. You can walk around relaxed or sit down in a café or restaurant. I felt safe at all times.

Then I got sick. The next day we continued to the project by train and taxi, I can highly recommend the taxi app. However, the air-conditioned train compartment did not do my fever flares any good, so I had to stay in bed for the first few days of the project. But after a few days I was back on my feet.

Orientation program

The first week was an Eco Village introductory week. I found this orientation week very interesting and nice because we got to know each other as a group. The founder of the ashram is Om. She has a great gift for connecting people. In particular, for example, through their intellectual exchange rounds on certain issues, singing and meditating together or a fire circle. Tom is Om's husband and co-founder. He is more of the practitioner and has told us a lot about permaculture and how they implement it on site. 

Areas of responsibility

Every day has a fixed structure. In the morning there is yoga, followed by breakfast together. Then it is clarified what is pending, often there is also a mood round or there is new information about, for example, new guests, groups or preparations that have to be done. Then you set off in a work team until lunch. In the afternoon there is a break from work and at 17.00 p.m. there is yoga again. After that there is dinner.

We got to know the earth building technique. We stamped the clay in a pit with our feet and then used it to plaster the sand-filled hoses. This technique is super sustainable because it creates a completely compostable building.

We also made biochar, collected seeds and planted seedlings to propagate the native trees. We also built a chicken house, felled bamboo and made massage oil. At 38 °C, doing such work makes you sweat quite a bit.

Home & Living

I was very impressed by how much Om and Tom built up in the project. The many clay buildings, the café, the garden, the many different plants, the composting toilets and also the courses and workshops that are offered at the same time. And both always have an open ear for worries and problems and do not seem stressed, but radiate clarity and calm.

In the ashram, the garbage is separated in great detail, different types of plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, ceramics and so on. Some of the waste is reused on site. For example, cardboard is recycled for composting and plastic for the Eco Bricks. I saw it as a pilot project that should make you aware of how quickly waste is produced. Especially here in Thailand you have a plastic bag in your hand faster than you can see. Water is also only available in plastic bottles and most food and drinks that you can buy on the street are always extensively wrapped in plastic.

I was always amazed at how the composting toilet works. Everything just turns to soil if you add enough dry material. Using it takes a little getting used to, can certainly be further developed, but is in principle a great alternative to our "water closet".

Essen

There is always a common breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes we cooked ourselves, if groups were there, a cooking team came.

leisure

Sometimes there are still events in the evening, for example films, fire circles or games. Wednesday afternoons, Saturdays and Sundays are free. Once we made a trip to the lotus lake. A whole lake full of pink lotus flowers - great! It's also not a problem to drive away in between. For example, I was in Laos and Vientiane with two others.

Sometimes after work we cycled to the nearby café. That was a challenge because there are five dogs living on the premises, who were always very happy to come with us, no matter where. That wasn't always easy with bikes without lights, but it was still fun.

Special experiences

Together with other volunteers I made a trip to Vang Vieng, an organic farm. That was very interesting and the farm is really beautiful. Unfortunately, the operation there is somewhat restricted due to Corona. You used to be able to work there, but that's not possible at the moment. At the time we were there, the air was pretty bad because the rice fields in Thailand are being burned. This is an old tradition and is still being done despite climate change.

Why RGV?

This trip was a challenge for me in many ways. It's been a while since I've traveled far and most importantly I've never been alone. Inspired by many young people just going out to explore the world, I started researching. That's how I came across RGV, which I believe offer many exciting and sustainable projects worldwide. Since I was most interested in Asia, yoga and permaculture, I came across the Eco Village project relatively quickly. Thanks very much!

Field report by Uta, Volunteer at Ashram Thailand, March 2023