Field Notes
Group volunteering opportunity
Date: 5-25 August 2026
- Arrival on the 4th of August
- Departure on the 26th of August
Location: Kerkakutas, Hungary
Organiser: Szatyor Association in cooperation with Habitat HUB
The Activities
Throughout the project, participants will join smaller working groups built around an everchanging ‘task cloud’ created by the team of Habitat Hub. A collection of real development projects - open questions and unfinished ideas connected to the land, infrastructure and social systems of the space.
Groups may explore topics such as:
- permaculture within a market garden
- water, energy and low-tech living systems
- building with recycled and natural materials
- storytelling, mapping and creative documentation
- collective organization and decision-making
- social rituals, culture and everyday cooperation
- experiments in resilience, adaptation and rural futures
The projects emerge from real situations, real limitations and real possibilities inside Habitat Hub and the village of Kerkakutas.
The venue
Habitat Hub is an evolving rural initiative based in the village of Kerkakutas in southern Hungary. We wish to create a splace where people can temporarily or permanently come together to test alternative futures for rural areas. Through experimenting with different income streams, cultural programs, shared infrastructures, sustainable ways of living and forms of collective organization, the project explores how villages can become more resilient, connected and meaningful places to live in the future.
Arrangements
We will provide 4-6 person tents within the volunteer village, but please bring your own sleeping bag!
The facilities will be simple, we will use outdoor showers and compost toilets.
As for your meals, cooking will be a vital, communal act we all share. Every day, we'll take turns in the kitchen, to create wholesome vegetarian dishes that reflect our commitment to local quality ingredients and mutual care.
About You
We're on the lookout for vibrant individuals aged between 18 and 30 who are legal residents of the European Union - a total of 15 people.
You might feel at home at Habitat Hub if...
- You sometimes feel that the way the world works doesn’t fully make sense to you.
- You are curious about alternative ways of living, even if you don’t have experience.
- You enjoy working with your hands or you’ve been wanting to try.
- You are willing to take responsibility, but also to question things.
- You are open to living closely with others: all the beauty and challenges that comes with it.
Practicalities
- Pocket money: You will receive 7 EUR/day as pocket money to cover daily expenses.
- Travel reimbursement: Your travel costs will be reimbursed by Szatyor Association according to the distance between your home and Etyek (up to 309 EUR, 417 EUR if choosing green travel options).
- Green travel options: To minimize the project’s carbon footprint, we invite all of you to opt for green travel options such as buses or trains, making the journey to Etyek as eco-friendly as possible. When you opt to do so, the reimbursements are more flexible.
- Hungary is part of the Schengen area, easy to enter for EU citizens with a passport or an ID. We can host only European residents in this event.
- Accommodation:We will provide 4-6 person tents within the volunteer village, but please bring your own sleeping bag! Washing machine is available.
- Bank account: You must have a European bank account with an IBAN number to allow Szatyor Association to reimburse your travel costs and pay your pocket money.
- Health insurance: Please make sure to have your valid EU Health Insurance (EHIC) card with you. Volunteers are also insured through the ESC’s Henner insurance scheme.
- Currency: The local currency is Hungarian Forint (HUF), with 1 Euro being approximately 400 HUF.
- Youthpass certificate provided
What to bring
- EU Blue social security card (EHIC)
-
appropiate clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty - during hot days, temperatures are expected to reach 34°C but nights can get chilly!
- sleeping bag
- raincoat
- hat, sunscreen
- your own water bottle
- mosquito and tick repellents
- toiletry items
- towels
- preferably natural soaps and shower gels
- special medication, if you need them
- personal documents
- musical instrument (optional)
About Us
Szatyor Association is a community-focused association dedicated to sustainability and nature connection. We provide information, inspiration, and learning opportunities for both young people and adults through non-formal education, trainings, and participatory events. Our mission is to provide hope, tools, and space for individuals and communities to live their lives in an environmentally conscious, authentic, free, and collaborative way.
