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15 May 2024
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Description
My son, Malakai, and I (Helen) are a family of 2 living less than 1km from the bright blue Atlantic Ocean in a village called Kommetjie, close to Cape Town.
I am a hydrogeologist and I work in the water services division of a global leading sustainability consulting firm. I am from the UK, and in my early 20’s I travelled a lot in southern Africa. I ended up returning to Africa to work in developing water supplies. It’s almost 20 years later I am still here!
My 9-year old son is a creative, enthusiastic, thriving and joyful soul who is interested in absolutely everything! We love nature, we love where we live, and we love meeting new people.
As a single parent, and without a school bus service, it is tricky to balance work with childcare needs, especially with afternoon music and surfing lessons that are not located at the school. I also have to manage my activity level carefully since getting long covid. So, we would love someone to join us to help with child care and household activities. We have a large house and garden, two cats and a chicken. We are a short drive from my sons school and we would like help doing the morning and afternoon school run, cooking meals, cleaning, DIY and gardening.
A little about our setting: Cape Town and the wider Western Cape is a nature lovers paradise. Kommetjie itself is a surfers paradise with many beaches and many breaks. Last week a seal swam around me when I had a dip in the sea, last night watching sunset at the beach a flock of flamingos went overhead. We are surrounded by mountains so it is ideal for trail running, hiking, climbing and mountain biking. The coastline hosts world class beaches and surfing spots, and the oceans are renowned for snorkeling, diving and free diving in kelp forests. I can share 20 years of insight to the best hidden mountain spots and routes and connect you with friends and local clubs in all of these activities! My garage houses 3 surf boards, a SUP and a mountain bike - all of which you can borrow. Our village is one of three on the Southern Peninsula known for attracting people looking for an alternative lifestyle. I work from home 95% of the time, and it seems the rest of the village does too. There are many local yoga and meditation classes, and in neighbouring Scarborough you can do Wim Hof immersion workshops, bare foot shoe making workshops and food foraging courses to name a few. The village has a deli stocked with alternative health foods and local produce, two pubs, a pizzeria, and an independent coffee shop.
Of course the city and country is also known for its inequalities, but there is a lot of good happening too to address this. There are local soup kitchens, community centres, and social projects where you can volunteer and get involved in spare time if you would like. I can also connect you with friends running various NGOs and grass-roots initiatives.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
In my early 20’s I travelled in southern Africa. I think going to far flung places and having to fit in, working in bars along the way and experiencing different cultures has all helped me be able to connect with people from all walks of life. I would like to support other young or young-at-heart people who are doing the same. Cape Town is a (relatively) safe and accessible spring-board to the rest of the county and beyond.
Above all, we would like to exchange life experiences, share how we live and have a window into another person’s life. I can share a lot about water resources, sustainability, the mountains, and I also have a passion for positive psychology.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
The help needed includes getting Malakai ready for school in the morning and driving him to school (which takes around an hour and half 7am-8.30am). You would then collect him each day (some days that is 2.30pm, some days 3.30pm) and then either bring him home or take him to clubs (piano, clarinet, and surfing club are not at school). I finish work at 5pm, so this comes to 3 - 4 hours of childcare help Monday-Friday and it would be great if you can then also add a (0 - 1hour) contribution to the household. Malakai is so creative he is completely able to play alone and doesn’t need entertaining but likes someone to talk to! So, during the afternoons when looking after Malakai at home it would be great if you could use that time for household chores like doing washing, cleaning, and cooking an evening meal for us all. You can use my car for driving Malakai around, which is easy as I work at home almost all the time.
Malakai is with me for 1 week then with my ex for a week. In the week he isn’t here we can be creative and flexible about how you contribute 4-5 hours/day (Mon-Fri) to the household, and when you contribute this time. The large garden needs a lot doing and I constructed beds to grow vegetables but haven’t gotten further yet. The house always needs DIY and maintenance and I also dreamed of building an outside shower. We can also be flexible about when you put this effort in. For example, you could help in the garden over a couple of days, giving you several days “off” to go away before Malakai comes back, and explore the surrounding mountains or small towns.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
We speak English and I speak a little very rusty French. Malakai and I would love to learn other languages and help someone polish their English! My mother is Dutch and I always wanted to learn Dutch as well.
Accommodation
The house and garden are large for our family of 2 (740m2). You will have the upstairs to yourself, where there is one large bedroom, and a bathroom (although the bathroom downstairs for my son and I only has a shower, so from time to time Malakai will need to use the upstairs bath). The upstairs bedroom has a deck overlooking the north-facing garden, and from the deck you can just see the back of Table Mountain in the distance. The upstairs bedroom is furnished with cupboard, and desk if you wanted to work remotely. We will share the downstairs kitchen and you are welcome to use the lounge downstairs.
What else ...
If you don’t have your own car you can also use my car for personal trips in the days, evenings or weekends, if we can arrange this between us. Ubers are available in the village aswell. Public transport is not very easy or reliable. You can use my bike for short trips around the village, to the beach etc. I have come to know Cape Town very well, so there will be many suggestions. And Cape Town has so much more that I haven’t mentioned! Art, theatres, museums, vineyards….
This is a family home, so no drugs and no smoking in the house please.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
I have uncapped high speed fiber. With the timing of help needed, you could if you wanted to be a digital nomad and work much of the day! (Or learn to surf, or volunteer, or.......!)
Space for parking camper vans
A small van (old VW camper size) would fit on the driveway.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
