Rome (TAN): Global home-sharing platform Airbnb had sponsored ‘Italian Sabbatical’ earlier this year, five applicants of which will move to the Italian village Grottole for three months to help restore it.
Airbnb had teamed up with Wonder Grottole, a local non-profit organisation that promotes urban renewal, for the project.
Over 280,000 candidates from all over the world had applied to spend a relaxed time in the small village in southern Italy, home to 300 people and 600 empty houses. But only five were chosen.
The five volunteers will be engaged in community life, and eventually co-host homes and social impact experiences with Wonder Grottole after one month of training from locals. They will share with visitors traditional skills such as vegetable farming, honey harvesting, pasta making and olive oil production. In turn, they will get an insight of the food, language, culture and traditions of the Italian village.
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Anne, one of the five applicants who will volunteer in Grottole, has a degree in agriculture and hosts an Airbnb experience in Melbourne, Australia.
“This project combines my two passions: agriculture and photography. I’d like to create photo series documentaries telling the stories of all the people at the heart of this community,” she said.
Remo, from Wales in United Kingdom, worked as a project manager who left his job to teach English in Grottole.
“I left my long-term job as a project manager in a large communications company and decided to completely change my life. I want to contribute to the goal of making Grottole a place people would want to come and start a new life,” he said.
Darrell is a former firefighter from New York, United States.
He said: “I discovered a few months ago that my family originated from Grottole. When I saw the ad I thought—’you’ve got to be kidding me. It’s destiny.’ There’s nothing that I’d enjoy more than reconnecting with my roots and giving back to the community.”
Helena, a cultural guide from Toronto, Canada, was raised in the countryside, and wanted to participate as a way of getting back to her roots in a sense.
“I was born on a houseboat and lived in a yurt in the woods for a few years. I’m so excited about the idea of reconnecting with my rural roots,” she said.
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Pablo, a software engineer from Buenos Aires, Argentina said: “I hate traffic. I hate running all the time with a constant feeling of stress. This project will allow me to change my lifestyle and experience rural life for the very first time.”
The volunteers will arrive in Grottole on June 5.
A spokesperson from Wonder Grottole said: “We were stunned by the sheer number of applications and we’re delighted to have found a highly motivated group of people who can help our community in practical ways, from teaching English to IT, and all the skills needed to create successful Airbnb Experiences. It’s fantastic news for the village and of course we’ll continue to support Grottole beyond the completion of the project.”
