Join our utopian living surrounded by wildlife near Windhoek, Namibia

Details

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  Description

  When I turned 65 last year, I decided to slow down work a bit and focus on a personal project which is to convert an army truck into a expedition camper based on the same sustainable principle I use in my business. For that, I will ideally need workaway people to help me convert the truck into a camper... people with special skills like car/truck mechanics, structural engineering, woodwork, cabinet working...
  
  About myself... I am a scientist (biologist) and an artist (photographer Paul Godard - Soul Photograhy). I love nature and to create from concept to finish. I am originally from French Belgium which I left in 1994 for a 4-year expedition through Africa that ended in Cape Town where I lived for 19 years. Now in Namibia since 2016. I have 2 grown-up kids, Enya & James.
  
  Lili - my partner - is Chinese. She loves nature and travel. She has been working in the film industry as an agent for actors, singers, musicians and sport stars. Now she is retired like me.
  
  Anne aka Granny - my mother - is 95 and in very good shape. She also lives on the estate in her studio. Granny only speaks French but she master Google Translate conversation and even AI now!
  
  The Utopia off-grid estate is located on a game farm 15 km North of Windhoek. We have 13 giraffes and a lot of game including springboks, impalas, elands, wildebeeste, hartebeeste, zebras, ostriches, jackals & warthogs who often come to drink at the waterholes next to our house. It is a great privilege to live in such a beautiful place and so close to the city.
  
  Workaway people will certainly enjoy the peacefulness of the place and learn from living off grid in a beautiful country. They will also learn a lot of useful skills with us and sometimes when Lili & I are away, they will look after granny and our 2 German Shepherd-wolf dogs – Sheeba & Zara.
  
  Before I retired and focused on the truck project, I used to run a small but very creative company in sustainability practices to be applied to living spaces (Utopia-Africa). Apart from home and office renovations, we also created furniture made of recycled material such as wooden palettes or wire drums and alien wood.
  
  A very nice young couple – Ester & Blessing also live on the farm. Ester looks after the houses, the garden and granny while Blessing is mostly working with me on the truck.
  
  There is a big tent with a comfortable bed near the workshop to accommodate workaway people. There is a outside kitchen under a tree and the ablutions are shared with the staff.
  
  We offer free accommodation to workaway people and occasionally share some meal with them in the traditional African style or even Chinese!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Elderly Companionship

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Van life

  

  Technology

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Plant care

  

  Photography

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Carpentry

  

  Animals

  

  Art & design

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking

  

  Camping
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are multilingual... English (main language), French (Granny), Chinese (Lili)

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  Help

  The main current project is converting a 6x6 army truck (Bucher Mowag Duro) into a camper (Paul Godard - Utopia Odyssey) and maybe building a new camper on a Ford Ranger. Occasionally, we also build furniture with recycled material.
  
  The workaway people will also learn many practical skills useful for living in a sustainable way, maintaining off-grid estate, repairing, wood work, gardening, taking care of dogs and at the same time look at the wildlife around the wonderful estate.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Chinese (Mandarin): Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  Granny has been teaching French to some workaway people and both have enjoyed it a lot.
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  Accommodation

  Luxury tent with good mattress & bedding or in guest room in main house when house sitting. The ablutions are in the workshop building. No charge

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  What else ...

  It is very safe to walk around the farm and be lucky to come across wild life. We have 2 electric bikes. We go to town 1-2 times a week to run some errands and do shopping.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Our internet is very good for Namibia and unlimited. We have plenty of wildlife, big ones around the farm and even plenty of small ones around and in the house plus our 2 GSD/wolf dogs – Sheeba & Zara. The estate is non-smoking.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Our estate is perfect for people traveling in camper van.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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