Would you like to support adults with special needs? Does living in the countryside interest you? Welcome to Myllylähde!
- Volunteering period: 12.8.2025–11.8.2026
- Duration: 12 months
- Positions available: 2
- Apply at the latest: 16 March 2025
MYLLYLÄHDE (Myllylähde-yhteisö in Finnish) is a village community providing accommodation and work activities for adults with special needs. It is part of the International Camphill movement which was established to create participatory and inclusive communities for people with special needs, like learning disabilities.
The community members cooperate and work together sharing the different tasks, such as household tasks, arts & crafts workshop activities, gardening, and ecological farming. In Camphill communities, each person contributes according to their abilities towards the well-being of their fellows. The community is based on general Christian values and principles.
The work of Myllylähde consists of biodynamic agriculture, animal care, gardening, packing of agriculture products and weavery and handicrafts workshops. All work is done together with adults with special needs.
Location
Myllylähde community is situated in Southern Finland in the village Hämeenkoski, about 30 km away from the city Lahti. Myllylähde is located in a rather remote place in the countryside. It is surrounded by beautiful nature, forests, and fields. The distance to the village center of Hämeenkoski is about 7 km.
Volunteer’s role and tasks
As a volunteer at Myllylähde, you will help with all the activities of the community according to your skills and abilities. You will socialize and co-work with the people with special needs and support them in the community’s daily functions and practical tasks like cooking and cleaning. You can also introduce your cultural background and language(s) to the members of the community. Life in the community changes according to the seasons, and so do the tasks of the volunteer as well. From spring to autumn, there is a lot of agricultural work and in the winter, there is more work in the workshops.
Volunteer’s profile
Volunteering at Myllylähde could be for you if you are motivated to live in the countryside and are interested in working with people with special needs. Interest in a communal way of living and nature is also helpful.
Accommodation, food, transportation, and days off & holidays
The meals and accommodation are provided by the Myllylähde community. The volunteers have their room in one of Myllylähde’s three houses. The volunteers share the kitchen and hygienic facilities with the other community members.
Volunteers live and work at Myllylähde, so they don’t need to commute daily. Myllylähde is situated in the countryside, and there is no public local transport nearby – the nearest bus stop is about 7 km distance. The volunteers will get reimbursement for one weekly return trip to the nearest city, Lahti. Also, the staff will give the volunteers a lift whenever possible.
The volunteers will have 2 days off per week and will be entitled to 2 holiday days a month.
Training during the activity
The volunteers will have an on-arrival training camp and mid-term evaluation camp organised by the Finnish National Agency of the European Solidarity Corps. In addition, they will be invited to the on-arrival training camp and mid-term evaluation camp of the coordinating organisation Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland.
The volunteers will get access to the Online Language Support (OLS) tool of the European Solidarity Corps to help them learn Finnish.
Accessibility
The environment at Myllylähde unfortunately is not suitable for moving around with a wheelchair. If you need additional support due to another kind of disability, a long-term illness or other reason and would like to discuss if volunteering at Myllylähde could suit you, please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information via Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland at esc@maailmanvaihto.fi. We’ll be happy to tell you more!
Activity topics
Disabilities, wellbeing, inclusion, agriculture
How to apply?
Further information
- If you wish to ask something about the open position for volunteering at Maailmanvaihto, please, see answers to frequently asked questions and European Solidarity Corps program page.
- If you don’t find an answer to your question, please contact us at Maailmanvaihto at esc@maailmanvaihto.fi. Do not contact the voluntary workplace directly.
- Please note that you can only apply for the open position by following the application instructions linked above.
Volunteers’ Experiences
Mohammad: Volunteering, Farming, and Community at Myllylähde
“Hi, I am Mohammad Anoun from Aleppo, Syria, and I am a volunteer at Myllylähde Community, a small village and farm surrounded by forests and beautiful green spaces, located in the countryside of Hollola, about 30 kilometers from the city of Lahti.
At Myllylähde, we live together as volunteers and staff alongside villagers with special needs, where we all collaborate in performing various daily tasks.
My role as a volunteer includes outdoor work, where I help in the fields during the harvest season. We gather a variety of vegetables and fruits such as potatoes, pumpkins, beans, beets, carrots, and apples. I also participate in planting crops during the spring and taking care of the soil to ensure a good farming season. Additionally, I help with packaging products such as vegetables, oats, and flour.
I have fixed daily tasks that I assist with, such as feeding cows, horses, and cats, as well as cleaning the horse stables and changing the water. In winter, our tasks vary to include cutting trees and turning them into firewood using a special machine or an axe, then packing them into large bags ready for sale. We also spend time in the candle-making workshop, where we make candles while enjoying the warmth indoors, alongside the villagers and supporting them.
I love working at Myllylähde Community and truly enjoy it. If you are a nature lover, appreciate tranquility, and enjoy agricultural work, you won’t regret this experience. Here, everyone takes care of each other, and as long as you have the courage to endure the cold and darkness of winter, along with the passion and dedication to help people with special needs, I am sure you will enjoy your time here!”
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