Between August 9-29, 2024, we held a three-week European Solidarity Corps group volunteering event in Hács, in cooperation with the Belső Mosoly Foundation. The camp took place in Béndekpuszta, an abandoned village which had been reclaimed by nature. Our goal was to clean up and prepare the site, for future camps and events.
We welcomed a total of fifteen international volunteers aged 18-30 for the three-week camp. They joined us from Spain, Italy, Belgium, the UK, Portugal, France, Afghanistan, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Some of our own volunteers also participated in the work for a few days.
The organizing team consisted of one main organizer, a camp leader (who was also the owner of the site), a work coordinator, and our cook. Additionally, we invited various workshop facilitators.
The first few days of the camp were spent getting to know each other and exploring Béndekpuszta. This former village has been uninhabited since the 1980s, and nature has gradually reclaimed the area. The ruins of the old houses have almost merged with the land, with only fruit trees and the occasional collapsed wells showing traces of past human presence. After introducing the volunteers to the site and sharing our plans, we continued the day with a workshop led by Réka Orsolya Muhari, during which we mapped out the group's expectations and how they could contribute to the collective work.
The first week's goal was to clear the densely overgrown area. We collected dry branches, sorted usable bricks, and cut down trees to prepare materials for future structures, such as outdoor showers. Within a few days, we transformed the area into a more accessible and open space. During the clearing, when one participant found a deer antler among the trees, we all stopped working to gather around and admire this gift from nature.
We also managed to create an outdoor fire pit, and from that point on, we cooked our daily meals in a cauldron over an open fire. Throughout the three weeks, we followed a vegetarian diet, with the meals being plentiful and nourishing. We hosted three international evenings, where the Italian, Spanish, and French volunteers took over the kitchen and shared dishes from their own cultures. Before each meal, we held a brief moment of silence, holding hands in gratitude – this ritual soon became a cherished part of our daily camp life, and during the international evenings, we started the meals according to the customs of the respective countries.
After the intense work of the first week, we felt the group needed some recharging, so we began a creative design exercise with the participants. Individually, they explored the area and envisioned their ideal campsite. Later, in groups of four, they collaborated to create posters where they combined and refined their ideas. From these group plans, each team selected one element to bring to life.
The results were impressive. One team created a movable shelf next to the showers, another built a seating platform in a willow tree that could support six adults. The third team designed a climbing element that also served as a lookout. Besides being functional, these projects provided participants with the opportunity to practice design, material estimation, and teamwork. Furthermore, they left lasting elements that will enrich the campsite from now on.
Meanwhile, we continued collecting more wood for the shower posts and built a large workbench for cleaning and treating the wood. By the end of the second week, we had cleared, sanded, and painted the logs, ready for construction.
During the final week, we built a large wooden stand to support a one-cubic-meter water tank, dug a trench for drainage, and assembled the outdoor showers with OSB panel walls, which we treated with varnish to protect them from the elements.
One of the highlights of the camp was the construction of a seven-ring labyrinth with a diameter of 22 meters, made from bricks recovered from the old village houses. When the labyrinth was near completion, we invited Csaba Szalay, one of Hungary's leading labyrinth builders, to help us with the finishing touches. Once it was completed, we inaugurated it with a candlelit walk. That night, we all slept in yurts, listening to the sounds of the forest – the roaring of nearby deer, the hooting of owls, and even a wild boar family that appeared near the showers.
The entire experience made us feel like a tribe, a group bound together.
From the beginning, the group quickly created a warm and open atmosphere, where deep conversations and reflections took place. On the full moon, we held a collective ceremony with "Mother Nature" cards, where everyone brought an object to place in the center – this was a beautiful closing moment, and among the items was the antler we had found earlier.
We feel lucky to have had such dedicated participants. Many expressed how much they had learned, not only about construction but also about themselves, the land, and the power of community. Looking back, the camp was a transformative and enlightening experience for all of us.
This project was made possible with the support of the European Union.
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