At the beginning of May, Niemikoti Foundation’s day activities organized its first volunteer work camp at Kesäharju in Iitti. From the very start, the atmosphere was enthusiastic and full of energy. According to Heidi Tervonen, Process Coordinator for Day Activities, participants got to work within minutes of arriving.
The camp ran from Monday to Friday, and the days were filled with a wide variety of tasks. The to-do list included collecting and stacking firewood, repairing stairs, painting, maintaining tools, and building a new campfire site.
The work was done together, but everyone was able to participate according to their own abilities and interests.
“There were many different kinds of tasks, so everyone could find something meaningful to do. Even when people felt tired at times, a little encouragement helped many push beyond what they thought they could do. At the same time, they improved their fitness and experienced a sense of achievement,” Tervonen says.
The camp days began with light morning exercises and breakfast. Volunteer work started at 9:30 a.m. and continued well into the afternoon—often even after the afternoon coffee break.
“We didn’t really have the energy for evening activities because everyone had worked so hard during the day,” Tervonen says.
One of the camp’s most visible achievements was a new accessible campfire site, built on the location of an old greenhouse. The idea originated from day activity instructors who wanted a place where people could gather together around a fire.
“Fire is such an ancient element. We wanted a place where people could sit together in a circle. It felt like a very empowering idea,” Tervonen explains.
Building the campfire site also produced perhaps the camp’s funniest memory. One particularly enthusiastic participant had already assembled a campfire structure from bricks before the planned group building session.
“When I counted the bricks, I noticed that one brick was missing from every layer. He told me they were ‘spare bricks.’ In the end, we rebuilt the campfire site together anyway—so it was actually built twice,” Tervonen recalls with a laugh.
The camp also inspired a great deal of spontaneous initiative. One participant wished for a bench behind the main building overlooking the lake. Before long, a group of participants was tightening screws and carrying benches into place. In the process, all of Kesäharju’s outdoor benches were serviced and repaired.
“There was a tremendous amount of initiative and self-motivation. It was wonderful to see,” Tervonen says.
Kesäharju has a long history within Niemikotisäätiö’s activities, and volunteers helped maintain the area decades ago. However, an actual volunteer work camp had not been organized before.
“This was the first one in at least 30 years. It was clear how meaningful this shared activity was for people,” Tervonen says.
Although a great deal was accomplished, there is still work left for future camps.
“There’s plenty left for others to do as well,” Tervonen concludes with a smile.
