The Fridayhappiness Association provides a different way of living, with permaculture gardens, farm animals, and arts and cultural workshops, a wonderful place to meet like-minded people if you are passionate about sustainability and alternative off-the-grid living.
Tojeiro comprises 14 hectares of land on which the community lives and has attracted guests from all over the world who come for the Friday night parties featuring an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet, three music stages, each with a unique ambiance playing from the evening through sunrise, and the splendid nature that the residents work hard to maintain.
Building a Community
“I worked different jobs, but I wanted to live in nature and grow my own vegetables”, Rudolf Strelow, founder of Tojeiro, told Central Magazine. He has several academic degrees but found himself tired of the restrictive monotony of the 9/5 work model, a feeling shared with his partner at the time, Katharina. And so, the two and their 7-year-old son Francesco took the decision to leave their home in Germany.
The year before, Rudi had fallen in love with an area out in the mountains of Monchique while on holiday in Portugal. However, life early on following their move was not easy. “I had knowledge on planting, but it’s a different country, which requires other techniques”, he recalled. The climate in the Algarve is drier than in Germany, making the soil naturally more arid.
The family had to work various jobs to stay afloat. “The community was born when we realised, we needed help. We found people that were happy with the simple things in life, and we began to build something”, Rudi continued. “We wanted freedom for the people here, to offer them a different lifestyle”.
The tradition of the pizza night began when Katharina learned to make the dish, in 2012. “We started making pizzas for our friends. Then we started receiving guests. It started off with 10, which became 12, then after half a year we had 20, and after two we had 40”, he recounted. “We started with a booth, and we didn’t have much money, so we had to invest in the things we got. We began building places for our volunteers to sleep, like teepees and caravans.”
Alternative way of living
Tojeiro relies on the help of volunteers from around the globe to tend to all the land on the property. These volunteers, predominantly young travellers, come for the opportunity to learn practical skills and to experience a multicultural community with a vastly different way of living. Those who are interested can sign up for a minimum of 2 weeks but can choose to keep going however long you like. Work is typically carried out for 3 or 4 hours a day and activities include gardening, cleaning, tending to farm animals, helping in the kitchen, and more.
The number of volunteers has fluctuated over time, reaching peaks of around 60 at times. “In recent years, the community aspect has had more restrictions due to people not being allowed to sleep in tents or teepees, as you need proper housing” Rudi lamented. Because of these changes to regulations, the capacity for volunteers has decreased, but they still host 20 or so at any given point.
“We also have fire drills every Monday and ensure fire control, as well as try to maintain our space”, including fixing the road up to the site. Fire safety is especially important in this area, as it’s very susceptible to wildfires, such as the one in 2021, that caused damages that Tojeiro is still raising funds to undo, and in a huge effort to reforest an area burnt by the large fire, the International Community, Farm, and Self-Sustainable Permaculture Project, has just finalised the plantation of approximately six thousand trees native to Portugal.
Friday Pizza Party
“I’ve been doing this for so long, but it never gets old to see people going home happy. Many buy the subscription and end up coming multiple times during the month.” The management duties for the organisation are split between him, Katharina, and Rudi’s current partner Bea, with each playing an essential role in keeping things running smoothly.
“I enjoy meeting people from all over the world and introducing them to an alternative lifestyle, seeing them wear different things and get away from the normal into nature”, he added. “I’m so inspired to see I’m making people happy. I live here and I want to keep it going, and bring people together. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, I used to travel the world and now I don’t feel the need to – the world comes here”.
Tojeiro hosts two events for the public every week. Wednesday evenings feature a calmer live music session which is described as “ideal for families and for a day in nature”. Friday evenings start about the same, but after midnight, people pour in for the party.
There are three stages at the venue, each specialising in a different vibe. The Kiosk stage is right next to the bar and plays background music to have a conversation and to come and go”. The Tempel stage plays calmer, “quality music for anyone to enjoy” and the Selva stage is where the more energetic music meant for dancing is played.
The venue has become of interest to national and international DJs who specialise in House, Techno, Acid, Electro, Psy-Trance, Drum & Base, Afro & Disco music.
Tojeiro welcomes guests to their events every Wednesday and Friday at 6pm, with the latter coming to an end at 6am. They also run a breakfast bar from 10am on Saturdays, helpful for those recovering from a night of partying.
“I’m not sure how and why things came to be, but once it took off it just kept going”, Rudi concluded. “It was a slow evolution, but I’d say it was perfect.”
For more information on Tojeiro, and to watch their documentary, please visit: https://www.fridayhappiness.org/, https://www.fridayhappiness.org/client-memberships/ & https://vimeo.com/ondemand/inbetweenfridays