Experience report on volunteering at Finca Noah (Naira)

As soon as I arrived, I saw how well-kept the whole yard looked. Not a leaf or stone was out of place. We travelled to the farm by taxi and were greeted by about 10 dogs. They jump around the car and you are greeted warmly and with lots of barking.
The small "Casa de jannine" is a cosy little furnished flat in which you will find everything you need. The WC is next door, in the courtyard.
The very first thing I did when I arrived was to go for a walk and get to know all the animals. With 2-3 exceptions, the animals are tame, which really impressed me. But what has stayed with me the most are the stories of the individual animals and how they ended up on the farm.
You can find everything from dogs, cats, various birds, rabbits, pigs, horses, ponies, sheep, donkeys and a deer. These animals are so grateful to humans and you couldn't wish for a better life for them than on this farm.
 
Now to the work. I remember my first day, especially in my knees and back.
The day began at 8.00 a.m. and I started the morning round with the other hard-working helpers. Everyone had a task. I started in the cat enclosure. First the cat dirt was cleaned up, then the food bowls were washed out and refilled. Then I cleaned and wiped the whole enclosure, from the cat blankets to the scratching post. The wild cats also have their own feeding station. We work down to the last detail, you can see the exact order and structure. The same applies to the rabbit enclosure and the large sheep enclosure. Even with the horses, every last straw is picked up and there are no loose stones lying around. Farah's words stayed strongly in my mind. A harmless stone can cause a horse to stumble and with a broken leg it has to be put down. No animal rights activist should make these mistakes.

Farah's obsession with cleaning and her precision can be very exhausting and she takes it extremely seriously. Nothing happens in the yard without Farah knowing about it. Every broom is washed after each use and put back after colour. Every feeding/drinking bowl is washed out beforehand every day. All handmade stone carvings are straightened every day. Every straw or fallen leaf is picked up and disposed of. Every item has its place. Everything has a routine.
Now, after the morning round with the animals, a task of the day is set. On my first day, we spent four hours digging a piece of land. Every single stone was collected and we filled a hole with it. The whole area was full and it seemed endless. But in the end we made it. The land looked like the rest of the farm and can now finally be used. You could see Farah's satisfaction in her big smile. At 15:00 it was finally time for lunch.

The evening round was my favourite part. The animals are only fed and everything is briefly cleaned up again. Fahra's words: "Every straw you pick up today is one less we'll pick up the next day".
In the evening, you have more time for the animals and can also have a quick cuddle. I personally went back to all the kennels after the evening round and spent time with the cats and dogs. They are extremely trusting and love to be stroked.

Now to the other tasks on the farm. Every day, we go round the whole farm. You are allowed to take the dogs for a walk, but you have to be very careful and look very carefully at what is happening around. Some dogs will eat any chicken they see.
On my last day, gardeners came and we used our lunch break to load all the branches and leaves into a van and dispose of them.

At Finka Noah, you can't be afraid to get dirty, destroy your clothes, squat on the floor, do a lot of cleaning, spend a lot of time with animals or struggle with an annoying task that is physically demanding (like collecting stones for four hours). On my return journey I had blisters on my hands.

But if you get involved and understand why all this is necessary, you get a lot in return.
The yard has to be so clean because the animals don't know what it means to clean up or take care of something. This is our job. We also want a clean bed, fresh plates and no worries about diseases and infections. There is also a reason for the dining table part. Farah wants to give the animals back what was taken from them. Their dignity, honour, love and security.

Thanks to this experience, I was able to learn so much and take so much with me. How grateful I am to be able to help. To give something back to the world that others have broken. To catch the souls of the animals and show them what it means to be loved.

Farah is the strongest woman I have ever met. In addition to the countless hours she spends on the farm, she also works 100% and runs her own club in Mallorca to finance the farm. Every day she deals with 200 emails and 150 phone calls. Every last centime is invested. Instead of buying a new jacket, she needs the money to neuter 10 cats. That's why every broom and every tool is handled with care.
Farah is very strict and a very direct person. You have to be able to deal with that. All her love is for the animals. Every single animal is taken into her heart and she suffers with her animals. She is driven by her passion and it is only through her that the farm can survive.
Thank you for the wonderful moments. Thank you for the new experiences. Thank you for the stories. I wait every day until I can come back.