Yvonne (28 / 女士 ), 津巴布韦人, 互惠生生活在南非寻找互惠生 & 保姆在比利时, 德国, 爱尔兰, 美国 & 英国的工作，时长为12-24 月

I truly believe that nearly everything happens for a reason, even those things that we
don’t completely understand at the time. My experience as an au pair has been very
special for me. Honestly, I think it changed my life completely -- the way I see
everything and do everything is different now. In 2015 I made the decision to quit my job as a maid. I wanted to see more of the
world and get to know different points of view. I was first placed in Durban with a family
who were very kind to me yet we never quite clicked. I felt strongly that it wasn’t the
right place for me. At the time all my friends thought I was making a big mistake but I
felt I needed to follow my instincts. When I spoke with my host parents, they supported
my decision and I went into rematch. It was a little scary because I didn’t want to go back
home yet, but I felt confident everything would be okay.
Fortunately, I found another kind family, this time in Johannesburg, and with them I had a
chance to start again. I quickly fell in love with the city, the people, the two children in
my host family. I felt something that had been missing before. I felt we had a deep
connection. Everything was like a good dream my first year with them, so when they
asked me to extend I was really happy. I stayed there for another year. Then, there was a couple who were staying next door - an elderly couple. The woman had dementia, and the husband was crippled and had a catheter and a colostomy. I had to take care of them both for a whole year. They treated me as their own daughter. I would take them shopping and to doctor's appointments. Unfortunately, the lady couldn't make it because the dementia was critical. Then, I had to stay with the man for almost 2 years. After that, I had to leave. Now, I am looking forward to working abroad so I can learn new things and have great opportunities to escape my comfort zone. It also challenges me to adapt to new cultures, languages, and work environments, which can help me gain valuable skills.