Description

We invite you to come to Kalapa to volunteer for the first Kalapa Care in 2026.  We are offering a wide variety of activities, ranging from deep cleaning, gardening, cooking, and driving, to painting, arts and crafts, decoration, care and maintenance of the stūpa and temple, sacred art, wall painting, carpentry work, repairs, renovation, construction, and so forth. You can start with activities that you feel most comfortable with, and learn new ones over time.

Timing:  4 nights / 5 days – Thursday, April 2 (arrival from 9 a.m. onwards) through Monday, April 9 – (departure in the afternoon at the latest  5 p.m.) Note: it is also possible to participate for a shorter period.  

Volunteers will work about 7-8 hours a day for 5 days = total 35-40 hours* (provided you attend all days of the Kalapa Care whole period).  *Note:  This role also counts toward EAP

Responsibilities

• Attending short daily stand-up meetings, keep punctuality to working activities and report about development.

• Participation in final deep cleaning of the retreat center areas used.  
• Using borrowable working tools and machines carefully and putting them back in the respective storages at the end of each working day.
• Keep working spaces clean after the conclusion of a project.

• Note: the exact division of activities are done on site. A preparatory email announcing planned activities will be sent one week before the event.

Why This Role Is Important

Free Time: in the evenings, free time is set aside to rest or focus on individual meditation practice or Dharma study. Depending on the schedule and the wishes of the participants, we can also set aside some time to meditate together or explore the beautiful surrounding natural environment. These additional activities, if available, are, however, entirely optional. You can focus only on volunteering work if you so prefer.

Accommodation and Full Board: We are able to provide free accommodations and three complimentary vegetarian meals a day for all participants who commit to volunteering daily for at least seven to eight hours. The registration is free.

Alternative: If volunteering full-time is too much for you and you would prefer to volunteer only half a day (4 hours), the option “visitor-volunteer” may be a better choice for you (in this alternative option, there is a cost of 30,- Euro per day for the stay, meals are provided free of charge).

We can host volunteers in our dormitories. However, you do not necessarily need to stay overnight inside the retreat center. If you prefer to stay outside, bring your own tent and enjoy camping near the blessed Kālachakra Stūpa. There are also some guest houses around the local area, which you can simply book yourself if you have access to a vehicle to reach the center.

Owing to technical and time limitations, in general, we are not able to pick up participants from the train station. 

Internet Access:  We can also offer access to our internet for Dharma study or Dharma work purposes only.