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Host is looking for help immediately
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Last replied
24 Apr 2024
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Description
Our workaway season starts around the end of march :)
Hello! Our names are Stein and Thamy. And this is our second year of workaway. Summer 2022 we had 6 workawayers from 5 different counties.
Together with our little daughter Otte we live in a little village called Elst, in the flemish ardennes. We are located in a beautiful area, with lots of nature to go for walks (or bike! Our regions quite known for a big racing bike competition, de ronde van Vlaanderen).
In september 2021 we bought a little house with big yard. The house was run down, with no running water or kitchen and a big yard full of nettles and brambles higher then Stein (and he is 1m95!), but we fell in love with the view and the possibilities of one day making a food forest!
The first few months we emptied the house and the shed, cut down a lot of trees (too old, too high and close to the house or sick), made fire wood, put a roof back on the shed and made a playhouse for the little one.
Juni 2022 we started living in a caravan we put on the property while we worked on the house, we hope to make it livable by next year. We like to do everything as sustainable as possible, we try to build everything with second hand stuff. If second hand is not an option we build as ecological as posible, we even dream to make plaster and earth floor form our own earth. We try to experiment and move self builder boundaries.
A little bit more about us:
Stein (32) studied architecture and worked as and architect for years, he also was the property and realty manager of the city Kortrijk. Since july 2023 he is full time working on our home. When he was younger he helped build the house of his parents. You can say he knows a lot about building houses! He has a great passion for bio ecological building and other forms of housing,.. so he's definitely going to try out some techniques over the years at our project. In his spare time he loves to work with wood, spoon carving, making furniture,...
Thamy (31) works for the city of Oudenaarde at the department for after school care for kids but studied as a kindergarden teacher. In her spare time she likes to draw,make music and her more recent hobby crochet. Oh, and loves cooking! She loves to garden and make things with the produce or can them for later in the year. She loves to try out new fermenting techniques like sourdough, kombucha or ginger beer. She hopes that in a few years they can produce a lot more food for themselves in the garden (her big dream is to have a root cellar that looks like a hobbit house).
Otte (3) is a sweet little toddler that is going to school, she is quite shy in the beginning but once she gets to know you a little better she is probably gonna smother you with attention (oh and if it would be your birthday when are here. She can sing happy birthday very cute!). Her favorite part about workaway is when you go on the trampoline with her (or if you are a great desert baker).
Since October '22 we're also housing a stray ginger cat we called Butternut. We gave her food and then she never went away. She is a sweet outdoor kitty that likes snuggles.
In may '23 we bought our first chickens and a rooster names Peluche, Margritte, Michelle and Gerard.
A lot of the time we also have the sheep of Steins father living here.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Help around the house
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We definitely see WorkAway as learning from one another and broadening our horizon. Learning from other cultures and expanding our friend circle. We really like to get to know you as a person and your story. Getting around the fire and trying some local beers. We love cooking different cuisines but love to bring some local specialities around.
You can surely learn a thing our two about sustainable building and living with us.
We are still learning about permaculture and food forestation, but you can definitely learn with us!
In the summer we always partake in some preserving and fermenting activities and would love for you to join them.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
2022:
We did All the work outside (plumming, building the outdoor kitchen, planting trees, preparing for the water purification system).
2023:
- build a fence so sheep can graze the field
- yardwork: sawing and moving tree trunks for planks, planting and up keeping of the vegetable garden, mowing the field
- we got chickens and build a coop for them
- starting with the foundation of the house: cleaning up the house, smashing out walls, removing the old stairs, digging wholes, moving the ground with the wheelbarrow, laying the steelwork for the concreet, putting concreet in the holes,..
- demolishing an outside part of the house
This year we plan to further work on the house. We need to make a new roof, make new windows, plaster the outside of the house with lime plaster,...
When you stay with us it is you mainly help Stein with the house and yardwork.
It is very physical work, but we make sure to always find something that is in your capacity. We do not except anyone to have experience, only a good work spirit and an open heart to get to know us and other workawayers who are staying.
You can check our house on instagram - ask us for the link
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
German: Beginner
French: Beginner
Accommodation
We provide a big Bell tent with beds for you and the other WorkAwayers to sleep in or a trailer where there is a bedroom for one person.
We have an outdoor kitchen and a shelter for cooking and hanging out. That we will use together.
We eat vegetarian meals but are open to buy you meat if you prefer that.
We have a washing machine that you are free to use.
The shower is in the caravan. Our toilet is an outdoor dry toilet behind the kitchen.
If you want to take a trip we can drive you to the bus or trainstation to get to your destination. We can Also arrange for you to use one of our electric bikes.
What else ...
The Vlaamse Ardennes are know for their beautiful landscapes. We are surrounded with nature parks, for beautiful walking trips or you can partake on scenic bike rides.
For sight seeing we have the city of Oudenaarde where you can go to the museum in the townhall, visit the Archeological Roman museum in Velzeke or discover the craft of milling grains in the boembekemolen.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
You can work from the shelter or the shed. Time to socialise with us and the other volunteers present is really important to us, so we only accept part-time digital nomads, no more than 2 hours/day or 1 day/week.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
6 hours a day, 4 days a week
Feedback (11)
They did a wide arrange of jobs at our house. From mowing the long grass to setting up the greenhouse and powerdrilling the flour.
They we’re lovely to work with and always did there absolute best!
Our daughter also… read more
They also helped with washing the dishes and setting/cleaning up the table, which is always nice.
They are very private and a bit shy though. So if you like a lot of conversation you… read more
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(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
They did a wide arrange of jobs at our house. From mowing the long grass to setting up the greenhouse and powerdrilling the flour.
They we’re lovely to work with and always did there absolute best!
Our daughter also… read more
They also helped with washing the dishes and setting/cleaning up the table, which is always nice.
They are very private and a bit shy though. So if you like a lot of conversation you… read more
The work was very varied, so I was able to try out many different jobs, which I liked. I enjoyed the work with Stein and learned a… read more
Communication was something we needed to have attention for. We were not always sure if they understood us. Therefore things we asked were sometimes forgotten or… read more
They never let us miss anything.
We had some discomfort due to the cold the first few days in the tent but they were immediately available to solve it.
A beautiful place to visit and enjoy, located in a naturalistic area in the midst of paths and hiking… read more
She also did so much extra around the house even when we didn’t expect her to. She as very easy to have… read more
Stein learned me how to opperate the excavator and we did an interesting job working on the underground preparations for the house (nobody will see them… read more
We really got along great, So we had many lovely evenings together with ling talks. Even his girlfriend came by one night as they lived nearby.
He really became part of our family when he was here, coming over to the neighbourhood get together one weekend and the birthday party of A neighbour the next.
Guust… read more
They're wonderful people to get to know, and I enjoyed being part of their life for almost two weeks. They were also very respectful of ensuring I didn't work too much, and recommended some great hiking and cycling routes that were absolutely… read more
They we’re very easy to communicate to from the beginning.
They worked very hard and even worked longer the last day to finish the biggest part of the gardenhouse we were building and really see it come together!
They always cleaned up their stuff after mealtime, it was very nice that we didn’t… read more
I got along great with Thamy and Stein. I't was really special how they welcomed me in their family during my stay. I loved our conversations about all kind of things. I also loved the work I did, even though it was… read more
We got along very well immediately.
Marieke was a hard worker, very easy to have around and was also great with our little daughter.
We loved our conversations and campfire evenings. Our country’s are neighbors but we learned a lot… read more
She's very thoughtful to share the situations that she had faced with… read more
