Joanna

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hi there! My name is Jody, and in short, I am a 23 year old girl from South Africa, just finished my undergraduate studies at a Liberal Arts and Sciences college in The Hague. My major was in Earth, Energy and Sustainability which is my passion to work towards! However I am also very interested in the human-side of the environment, and more of the arts and humanities as well... This is partly what brings me to Workaway: the opportunities to explore different nature and cultures, ways of life, meeting new people from here and far-away and somehow helping out along the way. My studies are also currently teaching me the importance of working together and acting locally, so I think the community aspect offered here is lucky to be a part of.

I am often described as a patient, kind and warm person. This might help explain my immediate love for animals, and caring for others. I am pretty easy to connect with, and believe that there are always things that we can find in common with and learn from each other!

So, while I do value connection, I also value getting out and being in the 'middle of nowhere'. Having grown up around the diverse landscapes and terrains in South Africa, I am passionate about environmental protection. I grew up mostly between the smaller town of Pietermaritzburg, the big city by the east coast (Durban), and further down south along what's called the 'Wild Coast'. I do miss the troops of vervet monkeys that would roam the neighbourhoods back home, the sounds of the cicadas at night and the hadeda birds in the morning!

That said, there is so much about the different landscapes here in Europe that I would love to learn more about. Since I am a pretty independent person, I am eager to do most of this by myself as well. Unfortunately one of the opportunities I missed out on this past year due to corona, was my university's hitch-hiking contest. Travelling in groups of 2-3, we would normally have gone from The Hague and ended up in places like Budapest, Barcelona or Vilnius. Mostly, I just want to take advantage of what is possible, and partaking in local initatives to get a much less tourist-y experience, finding more people and places to feel familiar with.

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Afrikaans: Intermediate
French: Beginner

More details about my language interests
When I was much younger, I used to learn Greek however I have forgotten so much of the language and would love to pick it up again! I would also be interested in learning some Spanish and French. At the moment, I am using my knowledge of Afrikaans to help me in learning some Dutch while I am in The Hague. Although I am only fluent in English, I would be more than happy to exchange languages.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Gardening

Being an elderly companion

Life at a Farmstay

Animal Care

Charity Work

Art Projects

Teaching

Babysitting and creative play

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Some knowledge of:  

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Eco Projects

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

More details about your skills

I would say my main skills can be described as creativity, hospitality, mentoring/tutoring and organisation.
Firstly, I like to foster my creativity by having my pen and watercolours at hand, and am currently trying to get back into playing the piano and guitar! In another life, I would have loved to go into animation, and/or documentary-making. I keep my eyes open for finding ways that this could still be a reality in its own way in this life :) Second, I have worked in hospitality a lot, at a small Greek restaurant and at the cafe: Lola Coffee and Bikes. At my own place I try to be an attentive host :) Both in high school and university I have been a mentor involved in the first week of welcoming new students, and making them feel at ease and at home, which I love to do.

Finally, although I am often easy-going I also very much enjoy cleanliness and organising things. This includes both housekeeping and events/occasions. I love bringing people together for a cause, and creating a safe, comfortable space to do so. Some other experience of mine includes being Head of Interact, the community outreach programme at my old school. This involved a lot of volunteering, fundraisers and campaigns for donations - At the moment I am looking for ways to incorporate more awareness and support for financial and mental health matters in my student community. This is something also very important to me.

Age

23

What else ...

In my down-time, you can mostyl find me reading, painting or writing (or sending voice notes to distant friends and family :). But a big part of my childhood was also spent playing games with my dad - I am particularly fond of Backgammon, Yahtzee, Speed Scrabble (our own version!) and 30 seconds. Another childhood favourite would be reading comic books like Tintin, or watching animation movies. These days, I also find myself not only enjoying but needing some time for myself - particularly to read, write or just go for a walk. I have also been introduced to the Plum Village tradition of Engaged Buddhism lately, which I am very engaged by!

Back home, I have two dogs and a cat, and used to have a red chicken called Red. Over here, I try to be a bit of a plant-mom instead! One of my favourite places to go is the beach, so anywhere near an ocean is a big plus for me. In the kitchen, I love food and am very happy to find the process of cooking food more and more therapeutic too!

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  Mildly allergic to cat hair (though I do have a cat at home!) and dust

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  Special dietary requirements