We recently received an email from a first-time WWOOFer, Justin Lenne, who told us about his interview with the popular French daily newspaper Ouest-France and how he’d like to present ‘the meeting between a french Wwoof and a english host and the great relationship between us.’
We are very excited to be able to share the article with you, which has been translated into English from French using Google translate.
Justin shares the Wwoofing experience with Fiona It is in North London that Justin Lenne settled down at Fiona’s. In exchange for garden maintenance work, Justin receives a lot from his new British granny.
Justin has cultivated a taste for travel for a long time. It was first with his family that he had the chance to meet new cultures. During his high school years, he discovered India, then he completed his third semester of DUT Marketing Techniques in Bucharest, within the framework of the ERASMUS program.
On his return, it is natural that he thinks about the idea of a gap year before the Covid comes to the fore. 《The impact of the pandemic on the economy and the difficulties encountered by companies in recruiting work-study trainees reinforced my choice to carry out this experience abroad at this time.》
Work against board and lodging
The student has a gap year in the Bachelor and the Master. This allows you to take a break in the post-bac years, to travel, to improve a foreign language, to refine your professional project. He chose Wwoofing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) which allows him, in exchange for volunteer work, to receive board and lodging.
On Fiona’s beautiful property in Hoddesdon (UK), Justin works 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. He handles the secateurs, the hoe, pushes the wheelbarrow so that the 12,000 m² look like a real little piece of paradise. A new experience for the young man who humbly admits not having the soul of a gardener! 《 But it’s interesting, because Fiona teaches me a lot of things.》
And this is not the only area in which the dynamic 86-year-old senior excels in making this experience an unforgettable slice of life. 《Beyond work, she appreciates my company and she attaches great importance to helping me progress in English through different methods: I read her newspaper articles and she helps me with pronunciation, we watch TV shows that enrich my vocabulary, we recite vocabulary learned since my arrival.》
The culture of his loving host marks Justin, grateful for what it brings him. Around this caring granny, a whole network of friends and family members bring their touch to the upkeep of the orchard. Fiona brought Wwoofing into her life by welcoming many people from different backgrounds into her home. 《I feel the same values of trust, mutual aid, generosity.》 A rich human experience that will certainly resonate as a real plus on his curriculum vitae.
Newspaper: OUEST-FRANCE Author: Geneviève SOURISSEAU Date: November 12, 2020
[Photo credit: Ouest-France]
