Driven by:
Regeneration Rural CAMP
Scholarship-funded volunteer program | 2 weeks (March 28 to April 11) | fully funded – in the São Luís ecosystem.
Project “Regenerar Odemira” – Supported and developed by: European Solidarity Corps & Odemira Municipal Council.
A transformative experience in a vibrant territory
The Regeneration Rural CAMP is a 2-week volunteer program that invites you to step out of your routine, slow down, and immerse yourself in the life of a vibrant rural village: São Luís, in the municipality of Odemira.
Here, you will experience deep immersion in a living territory, where nature, community, and both traditional and emerging ways of life come together toward a rural future.
We are a learning community
We don’t have perfect answers on how to regenerate a territory — we have curiosity, a willingness to experiment, and a clear intention to care. We learn through trial and error, side by side with those who already live in and care for this place.
You will learn by doing, collaborate with local people, and become part of an ecosystem that is already regenerating its territory in a simple, practical, and collective way.
What will you experience?
Over two weeks, 21 young people (18–30 years old) will live together in São Luís, a village shaped by the coexistence of tradition, creativity, culture, and ecological initiatives.
You will join a learning community, where everyone contributes, shares, and learns from the territory and its inhabitants.
Village and territory care
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Practical activities based on the village’s identified needs
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Support for simple actions to regenerate and maintain the territory
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Working side by side with local people
Community garden
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Launch of a pilot agroecological community garden project
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Inspired by the Local Food System developed by the Municipality of Odemira and the Regenerative Cooperative
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Hands-on learning about regenerative agriculture, food, and cooperation
Land Art & Natureza
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* Creation of a regenerative and inspiring art labyrinth
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* Integration of art, landscape, and local identity
Community life
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Sharing meals, tasks, and responsibilities
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Evening conversations, moments of reflection, and informal learning
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Time in nature, intercultural interaction, and space to simply be
Who is it for?
For young people (18 to 30 years old) who are curious and eager to:
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Experience something out of the ordinary
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Learn about regeneration, sustainability, and rural life
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Contribute to a project with real impact
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Meet people from different countries and backgrounds
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Try a different way of living and co-creating
No prior experience is needed — just openness, respect for the territory, and a willingness to participate.
Come co-learn, co-create, and regenerate with us.
Two weeks may not change the world, but they can change the way you see it.
In the golden hills of Southwest Alentejo, where the Mira River meanders through cork oak forests and ancient paths, lies São Luís — a village shaped by deep ecology, resilience, and ancestral wisdom.
For generations, life followed the rhythm of the seasons: wheat, olive trees, arbutus berries, and cork sustained communities rooted in mutual aid and hospitality.
This rhythm was interrupted — by monocultures, industrial agriculture, and rural exodus.
But São Luís resists.
Not as a relic of the past, but as a beacon of the rural regenerative movement.
Today, this bioregion pulsates with renewal.
Farmers, educators, artists, and young people return to the land, reactivating its memory and potential.
Agroecology restores vitality to the soil, and dozens of cultural, artistic, and community organizations make São Luís a true living laboratory.
The Alentejo singing tradition continues to echo through the fields, blending with new voices and learning experiences.
And this landscape invites us not only to visit — but to learn, collaborate, and co-create the futures we need.
São Luís
The history of the place that hosts this experience.
and that makes this path more congruent
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Active projects centered in São Luís
We include in this rural regeneration camp:
Accommodation
You will have access to a dormitory with 4 to 6 beds and a shared kitchen with costs included (water, electricity, gas and internet).
Scholarship
90 euros for two weeks
+ meals
Vibrant local ecosystem
You will have access to a local ecosystem of inspiring organizations, projects, and people, with whom you can learn, collaborate, and develop new ideas and initiatives.
Practical and collective learning process
Here you will learn how to make things happen collectively.
An unforgettable learning process.
Apply by January 15, 2026.
Regenerar Odemira – A Program with History and Real Impact
Since 2015, Odemira has hosted long-term international volunteering projects under the European Solidarity Corps, with a profound and lasting impact on the lives of many young people and the local community.
Over the years, this program has not only provided transformative experiences for dozens of young Europeans but has also created strong ties with the territory. Many participants chose to stay in Odemira after their volunteering experience, actively contributing to local development — including some who today coordinate and care for this very program.
Today, we are several generations of young people who have gone through this experience and continue to strengthen a network of solidarity, commitment, and active participation. A true cycle of care, learning, and belonging.
International Volunteering in Numbers:
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34 young volunteers hosted in Odemira
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35 volunteers sent to international projects
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13 accredited local organizations
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27 European partners from 12 different countries
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10 successful editions
This is a program made of people, stories, and real impacts — both in the present and in the future of those who participate and the territory that welcomes them.