Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
14 May 2025
Reply rate
86.7 %
Usually responds within 11 days
Feedback
22
Facebook verified
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
My name is Robin, I'm English and have lived in Brazil for 28 years. My Brazilian wife, Maria, & I have two kids (Joana, 13 & Tom, 8). I own, run & teach in a small online English-language school in Resende, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, so I can sometimes have native English-speakers to help teach. Maria is a Pilates teacher, an osteopath & physio, with her own studio in our home in Resende.
We've found that having a Workawayer with us tends to take a bit of the strain off our busy lives and adds another dimension to our home. We love learning about other people, cultures & languages, broadening our and our children's experience, knowledge & repertoire.
So, although we are based in Resende, Rio de Janeiro, we like to feel we're citizens of the world and are thankful to Workaway & our Workawayers for giving us this opportunity.
We also have a property in the mountains in Visconde de Mauá (1 hour from Resende), where we like to spend weekends, relaxing, working on the garden, having a dip in the river which runs alongside the property, cooking outside & so on. Our Workawayers are very welcome to go with us there & to join in with all the fun!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Sustainability
Culture
Farming
Languages
Gardening
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Art & design
Architecture
Nature
Hiking
Outdoor activities
Mountain
Fitness
Cycling
Beach
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You'll learn Portuguese with us, get an insight into Brazilian life & culture and get to see a beautiful part of Brazil, midway between Rio (2-3 hours away) & San Paulo (3.5 hours away), at the foot of the Mantiquiera mountain range, next to the oldest national park in Brazil (the Itatiaia National Park), and 2-3 hours from the lush Green Coast (Paraty, Ubatuba, etc). You'll also learn from us to enjoy all things Brazilian: Brazilian food, music, craft cheese, cachaça & cocktails, trips to local rivers & falls (in summer). There is also a local climbing community & centre we belong to, participate in and are happy to take Workawayers with us
You can build up a repertoire of skills to take with you, from playing & relating with kids, cooking, teaching English as a Foreign Language to gardening & woodworking, depending on your interests & our needs.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
You need to be open to being with children. They can be noisy & needy, but they're also loving, growing people who feed off quality contact with others.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
French: Intermediate
Italian: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
Private room with ensuite bathroom in our 4-bedroom house. All food at home is included. We love cooking - & eating! - and hope to learn from you! This means we expect you to cook at least once a week for the household.
We are health-food fans (though not exclusively), foodies & have a fruit & vegetable garden. We source organic açaí locally and forage regularly for fruit (papaya, acerola, blackberries), & avocados (January to June).
What else ...
During time off, you can visit local beauty spots, go for a dip in falls & rivers, get to know the local culture and visit bigger cities, like Rio and San Paulo, or go to the mountains nearby to enjoy cooler climes & a slower pace (Visconde de Mauá & Campos de Jordão), or the sea (Paraty, Ilha Grande & the Green Coast). We go to Visconde de Mauá regularly as we have a property there, which is part of our life. Workawayers are welcome to go with us and spend quality time with us there.
NB.: travelling from our home depends on the Workawayer's proactivity. We will do everything we can to facilitate, but we cannot be relied on to take you or organize everything. We will help, of course, as far as we can.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Our Internet connection is very good
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Feedback (9)
The children are always benevolent, I was very quickly comfortable and I felt at home there.
Maria even put me in touch with her brother, which allowed me to discover the Amazon and stay with him and his… read more
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(4.9)
The children are always benevolent, I was very quickly comfortable and I felt at home there.
Maria even put me in touch with her brother, which allowed me to discover the Amazon and stay with him and his… read more
Helen was always happy to help out and friendly with us all in the midst of what is sometimes a hectic routine for us.
We totally… read more
(The area around Resende is beautiful as well!)
Thank you… read more
He made a Vietnamese dish for us, which we really enjoyed, and made a positive contribution
to the household during his stay. He's very upbeat and has some great stories to tell already,
despite his young age!
After a few weeks with us, relations had become somewhat strained: Emma seemed withdrawn & unhappy. I asked her if everything was ok & she said yes, but she continued to avoid… read more
I have enjoyed going to English classes with Robin and involving into the family life. Tom is a very cute young boy and Joana a smart little lady. I enjoyed my time with them both a lot.
Robin and Maria are always happy to meet new people: they were very kind with me and I thank them a… read more
