After returning back home from my Camino de Santiago, I spent a few months just hanging out and enjoying California.  But soon I felt the urge to return to Europe to do some more good volunteer work.  I was very fortunate to find a 4 week project in Ticino, the Italian area of Switzerland, on a farm working with refugees and prisoners.  We had a terrific time and had the unique opportunity to meet people from all over the world.  As I stated, we worked on a farm, but we stayed in a prison.  The Swiss have a unique program and opportunity for people who have committed crimes to help them re-integrate into society.  All these people were simply fantastic to meet, especially my fellow volunteers.  It is not too often for us in North America to have the opportunity to interact and get to know people from Iran, Iraqi, Turkey, Afghanistan, northern Africa, Albania, Syria and other places.

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The farm was located in a small town called Muzzano, very close to some more famous towns of Ticino; namely Lugano and Locarno. I took so many photos that I need to split them up into groups to enhance your viewing pleasure.  Please click on a link below to view the relevant photos.

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German Pot Night
Close Beach
Dinner at the prison
Day hike in the Swiss hills
Far Beach
Crociera
Berzona
Mauro's Meeting at l'Orto
Padova, Italy
Appreciation Party at Torricella
l'Orto
Karaoke Party
Final day in Lugano

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Camp Code: SwiSci8.1-02 
Start Date: 04-Aug-2002 
End Date: 31-Aug-2002 
Country: Switzerland 
Location: Muzzano, farm "l'Orto" 
Type: AGRI/SOCIAL 
Ages: 18 and up 
Teen Camp: No 
Volunteers: 10 
VFP Fee: $200.00 
Extra Fee: $0.00 
Report Refund: $0.00
The association "l'Orto" combines the cultivation of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggfruit, salad and other vegetables with the support and integration of persons with social problems, who are employed by the farm. The volunteers will participate in the different activities of the community and will work together with the employed, socially disadvantaged persons. To support the communication, there will be a short Italian course at the beginning of the camp. W: Agricultural work, harvest of the vegetables together with socially disadvantaged people. S: Socially disadvantaged and excluded persons. A: In a house. L: English, Italian is an asset X: in the south and italian speaking part of Switzerland.