Since 10 August 2026, BRCK Association’s short-term volunteer project in Mindya, “Mindya Community”, has brought together volunteers, local residents and different cultures. The programme combines hands-on work, children’s games, sport, creativity and opportunities to discover Bulgaria. What these activities shared was a chance for people to do things together and learn from one another.
Games and sport that bring people together
The games with children in the village were among the liveliest moments of the programme. Outdoor team challenges, coordination games and a shared ball maze called for concentration, patience and cooperation. Children and adults joined in, giving the volunteers a chance to connect with the local community through play.
As part of our volunteer project in Mindya, we also organised a table tennis tournament. It brought a sporting spirit to the programme and gave people another reason to get together in the village.
Woodworking and caring for our surroundings
The volunteers helped make wooden benches and tables, from preparing and working the wood to creating useful furniture for the shared space. It was an opportunity to learn practical skills, work as a team and exchange experience.
The initiatives also included building a raised garden bed. Together with the wooden furniture, it is one of the practical results of the volunteering activities in Mindya.
Homemade lyutenitsa and shared traditions
Making homemade lyutenitsa, a traditional Bulgarian vegetable spread, turned a familiar local tradition into a shared experience. Preparing the vegetables, cooking and filling the jars allowed participants to take part in different stages of the work.
For the international volunteers, this was also a way to discover Bulgaria through everyday life: through food, working together and spending time with one another. E-volution Media features this activity in the video “They Tried Lutenitsa 
Things Escalated Quickly 
”, edited by Mane Hovhannisyan.
Watch the video of our lyutenitsa day
Four cultures at the community cultural centre
The evening at the local community cultural centre, known as a chitalishte, brought together the cultures of Bulgaria, Armenia, Türkiye and Morocco. Presentations, traditional flavours and dancing together gave participants and local residents a chance to get to know one another and share something of their own world.
Encounters like these are an important part of volunteering. People talk, ask questions and discover shared interests, even when they come from different countries and speak different languages.
Creativity and travel
In the creative workshop, the volunteers painted T-shirts with their own drawings, symbols and messages. Each T-shirt became a personal
reminder of their time in Mindya, while working together made room for imagination and conversation.
The programme also included a trip to Irakli Campsite and opportunities to explore the surrounding region. Photos from visits to Tryavna, Etar and Elena add moments beyond the daily activities to the story of the volunteers’ stay.
Volunteer project in Mindya: the summer’s legacy
The benches, tables and raised garden bed are the visible results of the work. Equally important are the encounters with people in the village, the skills shared and the experiences enjoyed together, from the children’s games to the evening at the community cultural centre.
Thank you to the volunteers, local residents and everyone who joined in and helped make these activities happen.
The volunteering activities are carried out by BRCK Association with support from the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps programme.
You can read more about the initiative’s beginnings and aims in the introduction to Mindya Community.