Monique Alphonsa Volkers

Monique Alphonsa Volkers co-founded Monchique Homestead with her partner Tom, a self-sufficient farm in the Serra de Monchique, Algarve. In 2010, she left her home in Holland to pursue her long-held dream of countryside self-sufficiency, initially considering the Pyrenees before settling in Portugal. Building the homestead from scratch meant adapting to a much lower income and a new climate, learning to provide for basic needs like firewood and water that had once been taken for granted. Despite the challenges, she looks back on the journey with pride and enjoyment.