Friends and biodiversity in my Swiss volunteering camp

In September 2026, an international group of volunteers came together in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, to help protect alpine biodiversity and support local farmers. Among them was a Kateryna, an asylum seeking person, who was able to participate free of charge through SCI Switzerland’s Create a Common Understanding (CACU) programme. In this personal account, Kateryna shares her impressions of nine days filled with meaningful work, beautiful landscapes, cultural exchange and new friendships.

I’m writing to express my gratitude to SCI Switzerland, which organised an exceptional volunteer camp for people from all over the world with young hearts. I personally didn’t know what to expect and was very glad about how my experience actually turned out. Even though we had to live in a tiny house with just a few rooms, as I always observe, it’s the people who make a place special. In our case, all participants were very decent and friendly. Here, I would like to thank the organisers for bringing us together, and maybe fate, for making sure that exactly those people were with me at that camp.

The second thing I want to express my gratitude for is the helpful, friendly and very proactive organisers. From the beginning of the application process all the way to the journey home, you could feel their support, and that is very valuable.

The nature in Villars-sur-Ollon – Col de Bretaye is exceptional. If you love mountains, beautiful sunsets and plenty of stars in the night sky, you would definitely adore this place. And what can I say about the animals? Peaceful cows would be one of the highlights of your trip, trust me.

And what was the main reason I came? Yes, meeting new people, cosy evenings with wine or tea and songs in good company, while being surrounded by picturesque landscapes, is definitely worth it. The topic of the trip was actually the challenge of protecting biodiversity and helping local farmers to preserve it. You would love to meet them as well, because after a fruitful day’s work (which you will enjoy), the welcoming hosts will organise, so to say, a little party for you with local food. But let it be a surprise for you if you haven’t guessed it yet.

The physical work itself was much easier than it might appear: we worked in nature, we were a team (and could talk to each other in between), and we knew we had a purpose.

So basically, what I gained from those nine days – in fact, it feels like there were more, because they were so full of impressions – is that I:

• strengthened my teamwork skills,
• visited new places,
• had a lot of physical activity,
• gained knowledge about other countries and cultures,
• improved my English by practising all the time,
• tried different national dishes and had a chance to present my own,
• had a lot of fun,
• played intellectual and relaxing board games,
• met a lot of great people whom I would happily call friends and whom I definitely want to see again.

I hope you’ll have a fantastic time at your camp! ❤️