Megan & Wietse

Travel information

We are currently

Activities we are interested in:

Hi! We are always interested to collaborate on NGO project ideas, reforestation/conservation/regenerating soil, all things plants and animals, the creative arts, and all things holstic health.

Description

Hello! We are Wietse, Meggy, and Ayla — a small family on a big mission to find the land, community, and purpose where we can finally plant our roots.

🌱 Who We Are
Wietse currently teaches Social Work at a university in Amsterdam and recently completed LOTUS, a 5-country EU-funded social work project. With a background in anthropology and conservation work in Indonesia, he brings a deep understanding of community, culture, responsibility, and care.

Meggy works as a singing teacher for university students and staff at CREA. She also runs a holistic private practice offering trauma-informed Somatic Singing, Traditional Chinese Medicine guidance, acupuncture (specializing in mental health), and Synergy Sessions that combine these modalities to support post-traumatic growth.

We are dependable, experienced travellers and volunteers with a wide range of practical and interpersonal skills. We work hard, communicate clearly, and take responsibility seriously. Joining us on all our adventures is our beloved daughter Ayla, so family-friendly hosts are essential for us.

🌍 Our Backgrounds & Experience
Before settling in the Netherlands, we spent much of our adult lives working and travelling.
Meggy spent almost a decade solely traveling and contributing to meaningful projects around the world.

Meggy’s volunteer experience includes:
Sailing crew on The Strahlratte (Panama → Colombia)
Boat maintenance, sailing, hosting guests, giving tours, cooking large meals
Permaculture & handicraft production at Tribu Permaculture Hostel (Ometepe, Nicaragua)
Caretaking chimpanzees at Mona’s Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center
Caring for horses, dogs, and spider monkeys at Tulum Monkey Sanctuary (Mexico)
Supporting laundry operations at a hostel on Holbox Island
Managing productive food & medicine farms + harvest volunteers in Oregon and California
Helping create La Kuka Eco-lodge (Colombia)
Participating in sustainable building projects in Panama
Internship at Frog Farm (Oregon), studying herbal medicine processing with the founder of Siskiyou Herbs

Wietse’s experience includes:
Wietse’s background lies in social sciences and anthropology, particularly in Indonesia, where he focused on culture, community, and conservation while working with International Animal Rescue (IAR).

He holds degrees in:
Cultural Anthropology (BSc)
Asian Studies (Msc)
Migration & Ethnic Studies (MSc)
Education (MSc)

He conducted field research on logging, rural development, and conservation, and continues to integrate community-based and ethical approaches into his teaching.

💕 How We Met
We met in Indonesia, at an orangutan rehabilitation centre where we were both working for IAR. We fell in love n the jungle and began dreaming about a future together.

❤️ Our Journey as a Family
Life brought us to the Netherlands, where Meggy spent five years completing her Traditional Chinese Medicine degree and Wietse grew his university teaching career.
During this chapter, we welcomed our wonderful daughter Ayla into the world.

🌞 About Ayla
Ayla is truly a joy. She loves nature, birds, sunrises, dancing, painting, cooking, music, animals, and cuddles. She is social, curious, creative, loving, and surprisingly independent for her age.People often tell us she’s one of the happiest, most content children they’ve ever met and we agree. We can't take all the credit though, she was truely born this way.

🌿 Why We’re on Workaway
We feel ready for the next chapter.
One aligned with:
Community
Land
Meaningful work
Connection
Sustainability
Creativity
Care

Workaway is our way of exploring possibilities, supporting others, learning new skills, and discovering where we might one day belong.

🤝 What We Bring
We offer:
Reliability and responsibility
Deep respect for hosts and their homes
Hands-on experience in fields of education, conservation, holstic health, and creative arts
A calm, communicative, emotionally mature, and adaptable presence
Practical help in social, creative, ecological, and community-based work
A joyful, caring attitude — individually and as a family
Love of Cooking
Love of Learning

If you feel we may be a good fit for your project, we would love to connect.

Interests

Politics / Social justice

Self development

Sustainability

Farming

Charity work

Performing arts

Drawing & painting

Cooking & food

Gardening

Photography

Plant care

Music

DIY & crafts

Art & design

Animals

Team sports

Yoga / Wellness

Winter sports

Outdoor activities

Cycling

Hiking

Nature

Camping

Mountain

Dancing

Beach

Languages spoken

English: Fluent
Indonesian: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
German: Beginner
Spanish: Beginner

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

Some knowledge of:  

Light gardening

Creative DIY projects

Babysitting and creative play

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Life at a Farmstay

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

Charity Work

House & pet sitting

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Able to teach about:  

Light maintenance

Eco Projects

Animal Care

Languages

Art Projects

Teaching

More details about your skills

Meggy’s Skills:
Meggy spent almost a decade traveling and contributing to meaningful projects around the world. She has experience in:
Sailing crew work, including maintenance, hosting guests, giving tours, and cooking large meals
Permaculture and handicraft production management
Animal care: chimpanzees, horses, dogs, and spider monkeys
Managment in eco-tourism projects
Managing productive farms and coordinating harvest volunteers
Supporting eco-lodge creation and sustainable building projects
Herbal medicine processing and holistic health practices (Somatic Singing, acupuncture, TCM guidance)
Professional kitchen experience (restaurant-level cooking)
Performing as a classical singer in opera venues and on cruise ships
Long meditation practice, including multiple Vipassana retreats
Her interests for Workaway include creative projects, herbal medicine, permaculture, regenerative soil work, agroforestry, reforestation, animal care, and supporting community and eco-projects.


Wietse’s Skills:
Wietse combines academic expertise with practical experience in management, community, and conservation work. His experience includes:
Field research in anthropology and social sciences, including rural development, logging, and conservation
University-level teaching in social work and social sciences
Managing an international 5-country EU-funded social work project
Restaurant management during his studies
Strong practical skills in organization, leadership, communication, and teamwork
Building and outdoor work experience, with a keen interest in sustainable construction techniques, including cob and other eco-friendly methods


Shared Skills & Strengths:
Together, we bring:
Hands-on work experience in social, creative, ecological, and community-based projects
Practical cooking skills and enjoyment of preparing meals for groups
Quick learning and adaptability in new environments
Passion for sustainability, plants, animals, and nature
Creativity, problem-solving, and initiative
A calm, emotionally mature, and reliable presence
A joyful, caring attitude individually and as a family

Age

41 & 37

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  Wietse is allergic to shrimp.

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  Special dietary requirements