Michala

Name: Michala

Age: 30

Participated in Leadership Seminar: 2006.
The seminar gave me a lot of tools and motivation to do a workcamp. I’m using them right now, as I’m organizing a workcamp for this summer in Christiania, Denmark. And I’m very positive towards it, as I can see that you work camp people keep coming back for more.

How did you learn about work camps and MS?
A good friend of mine was leading a workcamp in Montenegro. He told me about workcamps.

What work camp experience do you have?
I don’t have any yet, that’s for this summer… So far I have been doing other kinds of volunteer work. I worked in a Maya indigenious organization in Guatemala. It’s an anti-racist organization that works for the rights of indegenous people. Some of my Mayan co-workers came to Denmark for two weeks on a cultural exchange. I’ve also worked with street children in Ecuador. We tried to get them home early so we could help them study (and give them a meal). And in the weekends we took them out of the city so they could see the countryside.

How do you imagine it would be being a work camp leader?
Well, when leading a work camp you get the responsibility of making it happen. And it’s very motivating for me to get such free limits. I’m not used to that in my volunteer work. It’s great to get a lot of free space to get the best out of the participants.
MS’ focus on democracy interests me as well. So it will be great to make an MS project in Christiania which is extremely focused on democracy.

If a tree falls in the forest and claps one hand, what colour is the sound that is produced?
Orange, for sure. I can actually see it, even though it makes absolutely no sense.

Your unique skill of of being leader?
See, hear and understand the participants...