Children playing and swimming in a natural outdoor pond surrounded by trees.

Chambalabamba

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2011

What we do

Welcome to Ecoaldea Chambalabamba, evolving community. You can spend time participating in the volunteer program that includes organic garden management-permaculture, agroforestry implementation, bioconstruction of natural buildings, art workshops, making crafts, creative projects, alternative schooling, carpentry, vegetarian cuisine, etc. You can also experience the dynamic organization of the living cell, in which we are creating a caring and sustainable culture. Living near each other, cooperate and share resources so that we can live more lightly and joyfully on earth.
We are always under construction and development of homes, gardens, artistic, and educational projects, which daily physical effort is conducted and intellectual and spiritual work, where you’ll find a balance for a fuller life.
We will wait for you!!!
Bienvenido a Ecoaldea Chambalabamba, comunidad en evolución. Puedes pasar tiempo participando en el programa de voluntariado que incluye manejo de huertos orgánicos-permacultura, implementación de agroforestería, bioconstrucción de edificios naturales, talleres de arte, elaboración de artesanías, proyectos creativos, escolaridad alternativa, carpintería, cocina vegetariana, etc. También puedes experimentar la organización dinámica de la célula viva, en la que estamos creando una cultura solidaria y sostenible. Vivir cerca unos de otros, cooperar y compartir recursos para que podamos vivir más ligeros y alegres en la tierra.
Actualmente estamos en construcción y desarrollo de viviendas, jardines y proyectos educativos, en los que diariamente se realiza un esfuerzo físico y un trabajo intelectual y espiritual, donde encontrarás un equilibrio para una vida más plena.
¡¡¡Te esperamos!!!

Our Mission

Our focus is to create an environment where human beings can THRIVE. Food forests, arts & entertainment, happiness and rainbows. we are exploring, living in freedom and love.
Nuestro objetivo es crear un ambiente en donde los seres humanos puedan prosperar. Bosques de alimentos, artes y entretenimiento, la felicidad y el arco iris. exploramos viviendo en libertad y amor.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Ecovillage
  • Sustainability practices
  • Permaculture design
  • Natural / low-impact building
  • Activities
  • Farming
  • Education
  • Experiences

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2011
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2012
  • Started living together

Video

  • 7 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
18

How to join

volunteer initially for one month or more, then after more months, if it feels right on both sides, one can become a member. we are mostly a latino community of artists, so its good to speak spanish and have artistic or other kinds of skills. it takes some months as a volunteer until its a big yes from all the community and a big yes from the new residents. one needs to write to us through chambalabamba.org under volunteers.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please email for a visit through our website: chambalabamba.org under volunteers.! For better integration and learning, we suggest a stay with us for a period of one month as long as there is harmony between the two sides. After a month of volunteering, if you intend to remain, a meeting will decide on the matter to be, We are also open to the possibility of new residents — families with children, couples and singles. And we have 4 beautiful rental houses and 3 rooms in the treehouse.

Primary decision-making authority

  • All Community Members Together

The whole membership decides collectively.

Decision-making process

  • Full Consensus

Everyone must agree before moving forward.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Conflict resolution approach

we are a living example of anarchism. that is, consensus decision making process, all are equal, no rules, only agreements, self organizing.

Economic model

  • Partial Income-Sharing

Members contribute a percentage of income to community funds.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation

Additional economic information

Regular fees: $20
Labor: Yes (20 hrs/week)
we are looking for ways for the community to make money, like retreats, workshops, festivals, concerts, making things in our wood and metal shop, products from our gardens. if anyone reading this can help bring people here for a 10 day retreat, please contact us. and also, people currently must spend about $20 per week for us to buy food at the market.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Large Scale Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Waterfront access, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Dietary type

  • Vegetarian Only

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • WWOOF'ing, Guest Farming
  • Festivals, Conferences, Events

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Substance use is prohibited in the community

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Multi-generational (all ages well represented)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Community Land Trust or some other kind of nonprofit

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Community type

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

Community type

  • Partially built or remodeled with recycled or environmentally friendly materials, and/or using natural building methods

Sustainability approach

  • Permaculture design
  • Natural / low-impact building

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Community type

  • Partially built or remodeled with recycled or environmentally friendly materials, and/or using natural building methods

Some or all of the buildings are...

  • Partially built or remodeled with recycled or environmentally friendly materials, and/or using natural building methods

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Self-produced food

  • 33 - 66%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • Up to 33%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Food forest
  • Greenhouse / aquaponics
  • Land area size
    15 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Loja, Ecuador

Chambalabamba

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

  • Promoted
  • Events
3 weeks ago

Healing Love Healing Money: Trust As The Foundation For A New Culture

Money, love and power are among the hardest things any community works with, and many of us carry the same fears into both: not having enough, losing what we have, and the sense that if someone else gets money or love, we won’t. Healing Love, Healing Money: Trust as the Foundation for a New Culture is taught by two intentional communities. Karen McAllister and Duncan Cryle are from Clear Sky Meditation and Retreat Center, a Buddhist-lineage community in the BC Rockies. Monika Alleweldt and Benjamin von Mendelssohn from Tamera Healing Biotope, a community of about 160 people in southern Portugal that has spent decades studying love, trust and relationship. Clear Sky has spent years working on its relationship with money, and our two communities found surprising parallels in the fears beneath both. Over four sessions we explore the roots of fear around money and belonging, love, possession and power, trust as infrastructure (community as a container for healing), and ethical livelihood. We use short meditations, body-based practices, reflection and small-group conversation. You do not need to be in a romantic relationship or live in community. When: October 27, Nov 3, 10, 17. All four sessions: 12–2pm Vancouver, 1–3pm Alberta, 7–9pm UK and Portugal, 8–10pm Central Europe. Note: US and some Canadian provinces change clocks on November 1, so the US west coast is 12–2pm on October 27, then 11am–1pm for the remaining sessions, and Eastern is 3–5pm on October 27, then 2–4pm for the rest. Cost: sliding scale Details and registration: https://www.clearskycenter.org/event/healing-love-healing-money-online/  
October 27, 2026 13:00 – November 17, 2026 15:00
  • Promoted
Offer
  • Promoted
Need
Need
  • Forming Communities
2 weeks ago

Forest Community Starting

Description: Willits, CA, Pacific Northwest rainforest system. Forest Haven is seeking forest lovers who value solitude. We have several areas in the main compound and a few tucked away in private. Space is designed for your RV / Tiny Home / +++. We will add power and water for each new Steward’s space. Land: 40 acres(17 hectares), 3ac for humans. Year-round creek at base of parcel. Heavy trees, 40 meter-ish high. Conifer mix. With a large south-facing common garden.   New forest stewards have agreed to prioritize tree health. This means each person here will have a say in whether we cut any single tree. We never cut for wood or sale.  Stewards agree to walk the forest daily as our one required 20-minute group activity.    Limit the number of dwellings to 3-5 Total. There are 8 common buildings, with 3 having flush toilets and one with a hot shower, washer and dryer. We are 100% off-grid.  We have a natural spring and solar. The full-size common kitchen is large enough to process the garden harvest and more. Remote workers and retirees’ welcome. Full online and cell service available.    Forest Haven is currently a private forest reserve.   If 2 households sign on, it will become a 501(c)(3). Each person’s “donation/rent” will be tax-deductible. This is a private forest reserve going public as a nonprofit.    Please inquire if you want to help in a small way using basic permaculture methods to improve our forest’s health, message me to learn more.
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Offer

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