About us and Muhu

Muhu youth center

Muhu youth center is a local municipality owned open youth center on the small Estonian island Muhu. The youth center was opened in 2005 and since then has been developing youth work on the island. The building we work today, was built in 2015 and a short tour is available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuAZILrNLM4

Our target group are the young people from the age of 7-26 that live on the island. The everyday average visitor is a pupil in Muhu Middle School and between the ages of 8-14. On average 25-30 youngsters visit the youth center. As the only youth organisation on the island of Muhu, the youth center also coordinates youth work in the municipality. The organisation has a very strong multimedia backround and it's own very well equipped recording studio, that young people can use.

The youth center is actively cooperating with the local community. Like our local museum, kindergarten, school, culture managers. Events held in the youth center are open for everybody in the community. We also cooperate with youth workers from Saaremaa, that is Estonia’s biggest island and connected to Muhu.

Volunteering in Muhu

A volunteer in our youth center will be involved in youth centres everyday work. He/she will communicate with our youngsters and include everybody in our activities. The volunteer is welcome to carry out activities on their own. Youth work on the island includes youngsters that have different social backrounds and difficulties. The volunteer can help the young people feel involved and important by talking with youngsters, carry out non-formal activities, play different board and video games.

The volunteer has the opportunity to take part and help to plan and organise different events the youth center does for the community. The local community is not very versatile and will benefit a lot already when the volunteer lives in the community. The volunteer can also meet with different groups of the community to contribute to a better understanding of European Solidarity Corps.


Muhu island

Muhu in numbers:

  • Population: 1931, including 1030 men and 901 women (1.01.2020)

  • Population density: 9,29 inhabitants/ km2

  • Size: 207,9 km2 (with surrounding islets)

  • Villages: 52

  • Municipality center: Liiva village, 168 inhabitants (1.01.2020)

  • Distances from Liiva: to Kuressaare – 65 km and to Tallinn – 153 km

How to get to Muhu?

There is a causeway connecting Muhu with the neighbouring island (Saaremaa) and a ferry connecting Muhu with the mainland. For more information about the ferry service, please visit Ferry schedule and Reservations.

Muhu is well connected by a network of buses. A ride from Tallinn to Muhu by bus takes approximately 2,5 hours. For bus schedules, please visit Bus schedule.


Healthcare

There is a family doctor and a dentist on the island. The emergency room and a hospital is 70 km from Muhu, on the bigger island Saaremaa. The two islands are connected. Here you can see a video how. For very special health and dietary needs, the island may not be a good place.


Traveling in Muhu

There are free buses on the island Muhu and between Muhu island and Saaremaa. The local municipality has a bus, that drives pupils to school and from school.

Religion

The people in Muhu are in general not very religious. People tend to go to church only during Christmas. There are 3 churches on the island. A lutheran church in Liiva, an orthodox church in Rinsi and one in Hellamaa. The most active congregation is in the Liiva Lutheran church. Services are held twice a month.

Free time

After work hours, there are opportunities to learn folk dance, folk songs, sing ins a choir, Estonian zither. The youth center is connected with a sports hall, that has a gym. There are volleyball and basketball groups, that start a new season in autumn and welcome new players. All these opportunities are funded by the local government. Plus the studio in the youth center is available for use.

There is also a ceramics group for adults, that has a fee.

There are more opportunities 10 km away in Orissaare and 65 km away in Kuressaare, where there is also a night-life.

Food

There is a COOP on the island, that has a pretty good selection of different food products. For special needs visiting Kuressaare or ordering from the mainland may be necessary. We have on good and fast network of parcel machines and it is possible to order groceries from the bigger stores.