I’m an aspiring rural entrepreneur from Italy with a background in economics, environmental education and European projects on cultural and agricultural regeneration. My dream is to support the rebirth of marginal territories through community-based tourism, biodiversity protection and local empowerment.
I discovered the EYE programme through Materahub, my IO, with whom I had collaborated in the past. I never imagined I’d meet someone like Natalia, founder of Ecoalpispa, her work is everything I hope to build: land stewardship and education rooted in place and people.
I joined to gain practical tools for rural business, improve my Spanish and explore a different pace of life beyond cities. But this journey became much more than that. It turned into a profound human experience, rich in meaning, inspiration and connection.
During my stay, I co-organised workshops, beekeeping sessions and bilingual visits like “Beekeeper for a Day”. Together, we drafted a strategic plan for the months ahead, wrote a project on bee hotels, complete with budgets, and redesigned the website to better reflect Ecoalpispa’s mission. We applied to several calls as rural entrepreneurs committed to protecting the planet. We even created two associations.
The collaboration with my Host has been truly collaborative: Natalia involved me in every step, encouraging me to take initiative, test ideas, and shape our path together. It’s been a dynamic exchange built on mutual respect and shared purpose.
This exchange helped me grow in always keep in mind my ethical principles. Thanks to the network built during the exchange (municipalities, ADACIS, other organizations of the Canary Islands), I’ve started laying the groundwork for future collaborations. One of them is already started with the writing of a EU Erasmus+ project we hope to implement next year. Of course I will keep collaborating with my Host. I’ve also greatly improved my Spanish, which now allows me to access new cultural and professional opportunities. Most importantly, I return home with a stronger motivation.
This experience has taught me that it is possible to run a business with strong ethical values, going against what is not good for the planet, supporting responsible tourism for the local communities, education, protection and respect for animals, our land and our sea.
