The fact that volunteer Workcamps often take place in smaller villages will not be big news for most Workcamp volunteers. But a camp in a small village "at the end of the world"...? Tobias chose one of the more unusual camps from our program this year and spent two weeks in Greenland at the end of July.
Greenland - officially the largest island in the world that is not a continent. Greenland has its own local administration, but is also part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The approximately 56,000 inhabitants live mainly in the 20% of the country that is not covered by ice and snow. Due to the arctic climate, people here live mainly in settlements and towns on the coast. Historically, fishing and hunting were key to survival due to the short summers.
Together with the organization 'Association of Greenlandic Children', our colleagues from MS Denmark organize a camp here every summer, where international volunteers support a summer camp in Kullorsuaq with activities related to music, dance, singing, games, sports and excursions.
Tobias has written down for you what the camp in Greenland was like:
Englisch Version - Translated with DeepL.com
"The journey - Greenland from above
The village of Kullorsuaq is located far away in northern Greenland. Getting there is therefore a challenge, so the volunteers travelled together from Copenhagen and were organized by the local partner organization.
On Monday morning, punctually at 6:00 am, the journey started from our hostel in Copenhagen and it ended - two days late - on Thursday afternoon in Kullorsuaq. The journey was a little adventure in itself and included a lot of waiting at various airports, which became smaller and smaller the further north we got and in the end, in Kullorsuaq, consisted only of a gravel surface with a yellow “H”. Two unplanned overnight stays in a pleasant hotel and a noteworthy sports hall were also part oft he journey.
During the trip, every view through the airplane window was breathtaking. In the southeast Greenland, we saw the infinitely wide and wonderfully green Tundra landscape, which was repeatedly interrupted by bright blue lakes. And further north, we saw huge, bright white icebergs, an ice fjord and the polar ice cap for the first time.
Fortunately, we were also able to make some unexpected excursions: A short hike in the tundra in the south-east of Greenland or a trip to the polar ice cap. The landscape is beautiful, the colors special in a certain way: the blue is deep blue, the green is saturated and the white is radiant. The view of the endless white of the polar ice cap or the first glimpse of a sea of icebergs is unforgettable.
The tasks - the Kulloq camp
In total, the team consisted of 7 (international) volunteers and around 15 (local) volunteers who were based in the village. There were also two camp leaders from Greenland. As a group, we organized a summer camp at the school every day from 12-5pm with activities of all kinds: games, sports, singing, dancing, handicrafts and painting.
As a volunteer, you had complete freedom to contribute and implement your own ideas. I was best able to put my love of sports into practice in the sports hall: We played handball, volleyball, badminton, catching games, above all, soccer - the favorite sport of the local Greenlanders and children. I was usually able to “demonstrate” the games and explain them in English. In addition, there was always a local volunteer at my side to translate into Greenlandic.
I was particularly impressed by the fact that everyone showed consideration/respect for everyone else. Everybody played soccer together, the 7-year-old with the 17-year-old, and often the parents also joined in. We didn't need a referee or anything similar and every goal was met with euphoric clapping in the hall.
In addition to the camp, we organized “Cultural Evenings” on two Saturdays in the sports hall for the entire village, in which each international volunteer presented their country through food, music, dance, etc. My contribution was a poster, sweets from Germany and a small guitar concert.
Apart from Camp Kulloq – Free time
We (international) volunteers also lived, cooked, ate and slept at the school. We often spent our free time together with the local volunteers: we played board games or soccer in the evenings, went on hikes and, at the weekend, went on a longer boat trip with a barbecue on a small island not far from the village. Another highlight was a village festival at the weekend, where there was lots of traditional singing and dancing. As international visitors don't come to the village every day, we were introduced on stage in front of all the villagers.
Back in Germany - Experiences and Memories
Apart from the unique and breathtaking scenery, which makes you feel like a very small person, I am very grateful to have spent so much time with the children in Kullorsuaq and the local volunteers.
The nature and the isolation of a small village community are very special living conditions. People communicate a lot through facial expressions and gestures. Especially in sports, I felt that the focus was not so much on performance and there was less individualism. We experienced incredible hospitality and people were incredibly interested in getting to know us. The people had an incredible zest for life and I felt that they really enjoyed living in their little village at the end of the world."