Our ESC Volunteers

Stories of people who lived and worked with us, funded by the Europpean Union.

ESC volunteers in SerVivo

The European Solidarity Corps (ESC) is an initiative by the European Union, that empowers young individuals aged 18 to 30 through volunteering or work projects within their country or abroad. It’s designed to promote solidarity, encourage social engagement, and facilitate personal growth by offering opportunities to contribute to society, gain experience, and develop new skills across diverse activities.

Participants benefit from essential support like food, accommodation, travel, pocket money, insurance, and mentorship throughout their engagement.

Volunteers have the opportunity to learn and grow by engaging in meaningful projects that encourage teamwork, collaboration, and cultural exchange, enabling them to immerse themselves in diverse communities and work collectively.

Emma

“How to explain in a few words the value of this experience ?
I joined Servivo as an ESC volunteer to be part of the garden team and experience community living in an artistic environment.
I have beautiful memories of contact improvisation dances, clowning during Jam, never-ending discussions in the community kitchen, crazy dances in the morning and big stretches in the evening.
It was really precious to be in the garden and explore my relationality to nature through daily tasks. When I arrived at Servivo I was scared of making mistakes but I have learned to make some space for them.

I realized that my main job was to be open to whatever the garden wanted to teach me : observing, trying, modifying, sensing, being present and dedicated.
I became really attached to my early morning harvesting task and was so greatfull everyday to be in the garden, witnessing (and picking) delicious fruits and vegetables.

I felt deeply connected to the people, to the garden, to the forest, to the space, supported by the whole community in daring to experiment new things and super inspired by all the creativity existing in this place.

I stayed only 3 months but immediately felt at home.

Thank you Servivians, for letting me dance in the garden”

Alice

”Hi!
I was an ESC volunteer at SerVivo for two months. Time flew by, it seemed like it lasted an instant but at the same time, because of its intensity, it felt like I had been there for a lifetime!
It took me a while to adapt but then it became a home or a family for me. Being in nature, having a space like this where you can dance and where you can reconnect with yourself and share small moments of everyday life in the kitchen with different cultures is what I think I will carry with me the most.
It was also enriching to be able to see how the community works, the different ways of living and communicating.

As a volunteer I contributed with maintenance, cleaning and cooking work for SerVivo or events.
I did some painting or creative construction work of my own.
SerVivo is a place that is constantly growing and changing, I think that living there means being part of this process of change. I am grateful to have been able to live there even for just a short period of this life.”

Maeve

„Hi, I’m Maeve. I’m French and Irish, and I had the incredible opportunity to volunteer at SerVivo. SerVivo began as the enactment of a dream, passed through the caring hands of many people, evolving as the seasons change it. Through dance, clowning, contact improv, movement and play, I grew into many expressive forms.
I built resilience, fertile imagination, flexibility, open-mindedness, and inventiveness.
With so many people passing through, I connected with hundreds of life stories. At the same time, I found my grounding in the core family that remained, offering a loving and stable anchor throughout my time there.

As ESC volunteer, I organised events that brought together artists, dancers, performers, and the local community. I learned Portuguese, explored the beautiful Arrabida national park, and leave with many skills I can take into the future. As an ESC volunteer, I was honoured to support this space, its people, and the dream that grows.”

Roger

„Hello,
This is Roger from Spain. I have been volunteering with the ESC for 9 months at Servivo, a community of creators—a vibrant and expansive space where people from all over the world are welcome to explore various passions and arts.
I have been passionate about dancing for a long time, and here I had the privilege of learning different movement arts and techniques that have greatly enriched and expanded my practice. I am very grateful for that.

In terms of work, I have been assisting with several building projects. It has been a great opportunity for me to continue developing my skills as a builder, especially in carpentry, which I enjoy very much.”

Franek

„Hello! My name is Franek. I’m coming from Poland and I’m the new ESC volunteer in SerVivo. When I arrived I fell in love in this place Immediately. I love different forms of movement, dancing, contact improvisation, nature and other forms of art and expression and this place has it all… I love to explore the surroundings, spend time with beautiful people, and as an aspiring dancer I love to spend time in the studio and do my own practice and training.

I’m really happy to be here, helping during different events, doing some maintenance jobs, building, painting and seeing how the place slowly changes. Apart from that I also work on SerVivo’s social media and communication, posting about life here, announcing new events and sharing the videos I make (my new passion). Really grateful for this opportunity to explore life in this community!”

Sofia

Hola! I am Sofia, a peculiar creature volunteering in Servivo for 3 months with the ESC program.
It is mind-blowing to have this opportunity to experience such a way of living. In community, inside nature, in an eco sustainable way, eating delicious food directly from our garden and feeling part of a creative, developing, alive organism. Here I learned how to live and experience life in a way much more close to my perception and dreams.

My workplace is mainly the garden, an immersive ecosystem teaching me how to breathe and enjoy life and it’s weathers! Then, I support the events, the artistic needs of the space and the cooking for the community…
What an amazing thing to live and create together! Servivo is now a part of me, and I am a part of it.”

Twice a week in the morning it happens, that I’m entering the so called „Studio“ (the movement space), seeing a bunch of people very different from each other, all sharing the morning ritual of moving together to the 15 minutes DJ-Sandro craziness and beauty before the volunteering hours are starting – looking at each other while moving, recognising the others presence, here a loving hug, there a loud laughter of joy and weirdness, and also there a respectful gaze if there is a tear running or if someone is in stillness. I love this moment of the day so much. It seems like a „small, simple“ moment – but somehow this small ritual is special for me, as we come together as playful human animals, with so much liveliness, complexity and diversity that we carry and that we all have decided to dedicate ourselves right now to hold this meaningful venue.
This creative and playful humanness, what we share in these 15 minutes in the morning before work, I’d like to see more in this world.
Thank you SerVivo for having me here. :)”

Adam

“I came to Servivo to be close to the dance community and to live surrounded by nature.
This volunteering experience gave me the opportunity not only to take part in many enriching workshops and events, but also to be part of them ‘behind the scenes’.
I also observed the challenges that come with running an event venue and how they are resolved.
For me, Servivo is a magical space that offers great potential for growth.
I am grateful for the wonderful people I met during my five months of volunteering and the deep, sincere relationships based on trust that I built with them.”

Tamara

“Hello, Tamara here. 🙂

I could share a lot of words about my time in SerVivo – about what reflections and learnings I experience in the mirror of a community, how precious it is to live with people together who share a common passion, about the building-or woodcrafting work, and so on and so on… But I like more to share one of my beloved small moments of Dailylife here.

ESC Team volunteers in SerVivo

For 15 days, the team focused on improving the SerVivo space through landscaping and artistic work.

Together, they created cobblestone paths around the land, designed and developed green areas, built an artistic eucalyptus fence, and constructed a fountain in one of the main gathering spaces.

Other tasks inseparable from community living were also part of the program, such as cooking.