Wendy

United States
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Profile information

Reply rate
71.4 %
Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Activities i am interested in:
I am currently travelling the world. I arrived in Morocco in December and am still here. Currently located in El Kelaa.
Description
Hi, I am a female from the USA currently traveling the world and teaching English. I have a passion for travel and have been living abroad since 2014. I spent 6 months in Paris, France, then 4 years in various cities in China, followed by 5 months in Peliatan, Bali, Indonesia, and 5 years in Warsaw Poland. I enjoy learning about other cultures, particularly the traditional food. I am currently on a WorkAway in el Kelaa, Morocco. I am a happy Nomad.
Interests
Astronomy
Writing
Photography
Nature
Languages
History
Drawing & painting
Culture
Charity work
Cooking & food
Books
Blogging
Architecture
Art & design
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
More details about my language interests
I have taught English in France, China, Bali and currently Poland since 2014. I have taught ages 2 to adult. I currently teach Business English. In China I mainly taught Kindergarten to grade 5.
Find a language buddy
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Being an elderly companion
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Charity Work
Languages
Art Projects
Some knowledge of:
Babysitting and creative play
Hospitality/Tourism
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Able to teach about:
Teaching
More details about your skills
I spent 34 years working in various positions of the YMCA, a not-for-profit youth-serving organization. When I retired I was the Associate Director. I have been teaching English abroad for 10 years. I enjoy cooking, writing, photography, and reading. My greatest skill is patience, although I feel confident in my teaching and cooking skills. I'm willing to give most things a chance.
Age
63
What else ...
I have a passion for travel and immersing myself in the local culture. I love cooking and learning to prepare native dishes. I write a blog and one day hope to publish a book. My blog can be found at wendyjmarvin.com. I will be spending summer 2024 working at a language camp on the Black Sea in Bulgaria (my 4th year with Zenira Camp). I am looking for a WorkAway from mid December 2024. I plan to leave Poland at that time and most likely go to Morocco. I have no problem being a WorkAwayer over the holidays. I will be available for 2-3 months before meeting friends in Bucharest, Romania mid March 2025.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  penicillin and sulfa
- Special dietary requirements
  no

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26 Sep 2025

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Thank you Wendy,

Wendy was a very good volunteer and a hard worker. She stayed with us for around a month the beginning of this year. Her work with the website and paypay was very helpful and appreciated. More then that, she is very kind and quickly became a part of the family and spent time with my children. She is an amazing workawayer and I… read more

(Excellent )

17 Mar 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help me with my website and ...)

My experience with Brahim and his family was so wonderful, it made leaving very difficult. I arrived in the middle of December 2024 and stayed until January 20, 2025. I spent days helping update websites for Brahim's tour business, his PayPal account and also helping the children with their English lessons.

With 6 children in the family, the… read more

(Excellent )

13 Mar 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Cultural exchange and ...)

The school accepted me as a last minute placement when my original plans changed. I arrived on January 28, 2025 and I am still here. I will be here until mid-June when I have another commitment. I had no plans to stay in Kelaa this long or even in Morocco for this amount of time, but the experience has been amazing.

I can’t say enough good things… read more

(Excellent )

13 Mar 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Have a unique experience ...)

(Excellent )

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26 Sep 2025

Left by host for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

17 Mar 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help me with my website and ...)

(Excellent)

13 Mar 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Cultural exchange and ...)

(Excellent)

13 Mar 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Have a unique experience ...)

(Excellent)

20 Sep 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help us to improve conditions ...)

I arrived in Tanzania on August 25th but did not arrive at the Workaway until August 30th. I spent 2 weeks at the school. The school houses approximately 200 students with another 100 commuting daily. When I arrived the school year hadn't started so I helped out preparing classrooms, painting walls, etc. The students started arriving that Friday… read more and continued to arrive over the next week as some come from far away and it takes a few days to get there. One thing you need to know about Tanzania is that once outside of the major cities, travel is slow on mostly dirt roads. Lydia, from the school, arranged my transportation which is on a local bus and quite an experience. Once the students arrived and school kicked off, I spent most of my days in the pre-school classroom. I taught them songs and played with them. In the afternoons, I spent time with some of the older students as they mingled in the schoolyard.

The founders of the school, Baraka and Juliana are wonderful as is Lydia. They do everything in their power to help you have a comfortable stay. The volunteer rooms are in the same building as the girl's dormitory and are very comfortable. They are currently digging a well to provide running water so for now, it is bucket showers that you quickly adapt to. In exchange for room and 3 hearty meals per day, the host requests $5 per day for each day of your stay which I was more than happy to provide.

The school is in a remote region of Northern Tanzania between Wasso and Loliondo. It is in the heart of the Maasai community. Baraka, Juliana, and Lydia try to immerse you in the local culture with a visit to a Maasai village and the Maasai market which takes place weekly on Fridays.

Because of the proximity to the Serengeti, Baraka took me and 3 other volunteers on a day-long safari. The proceeds are then put directly back into the school. I believe concrete was purchased from the monies we paid for our safari. They are in the process of building new toilets/showers and a boys' dormitory. So it was great to see our money put to use. The safari exceeded all my expectations. We were up close and personal with lions, elephants, giraffes, and more.

My entire time at the school is something I will never forget. The smiles of the children, hearing the song I taught them being sung in the schoolyard, the staff of the school, our meals, and of course Baraka, Juliana, and Lydia are all etched in my memories. The electricity at the school for the most part is reliable, although there were a few outages it never really affected me. I recommend purchasing a sim card before leaving Arusha if that is where you are coming from. Because of its altitude (1800-2000 m), it can get cool/cold in the evenings and sometimes windy during the day. Don't let its location of 2 degrees south of the equator fool you. I highly recommend this Workaway and feel free to contact me with any questions.

(Excellent)

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