I grew up in Brussels, Belgium and later moved to Switzerland to study Biochemistry and ICT. Most of my life, I worked as a self-employed ICT consultant and system integrator. In 2011 I emigrated from Switzerland, one of the richest countries in the world, to Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world. It was a bold move, but one that I have not regretted a single day. Malawi may be poor, but people here are happier than in Switzerland, they laugh more, spending more time together and helping one another. I discovered that Malawi is a country full of opportunities where anyone with passion, competence and diligence can thrive.

My credo: Do good, do well, enjoy.
To me, "doing good" means that I want to improve livelihoods of people and communities around me. That "around me" can mean anything from my immediate neighbourhood to the whole world. Some of what I do will hopefully have a global impact, at least that's my dream. Also, I would never do something harmful or exploitative. As such, "don't be evil", the motto of Google, is clearly insufficient to me. I want to do good, not just avoid being evil.

Doing well means that my activities have to be able to support me and my family. So far, this has worked pretty well. I have a house and I can live a decent life.

Enjoying means that I would never want to do something boring or monotonous. I love innovation, I enjoy my work and I'm passionate about it. I believe what I do will sustainably change lives and at the same time secure a fair income for me.

That's how "do good, do well, enjoy" are intertwined.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

1- I own a newly refurbished guest house (well, it's actually still work in progress) that is empty most of the year, and that lends itself perfectly to couchsurfers.

2- I enjoy meeting people from all over the world and listening their stories and adventures, and sharing mine. Given that I mostly work from home, I usually have time to take a break, have a cup of tea, prepare food together, chat and laugh.

3- Guests are not just guests, they are FRIENDS IN THE MAKING. This is very important to me. I am in touch with a number of my previous guests, and I'm about to forge a collaboration with two of them.

4- Hosting guests is a way of life - you never know who you will meet next, but there are absolutely amazing people amongst them, so I always look forward. You may be one of the next game-changers!

Interests

Anything and everything is interesting. Life is full of surprises, and serendipity is the best way to explore opportunities.

Music, Movies, and Books

Favourite music: Bob Dylan
Favourite movies: So many, but Forrest Gump comes to my mind
Favourite books: Le petit prince (engl. the little prince) from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Siddharta from Herrmann Hesse and Narziß and Goldmund from the same author, who coincidentally used to be the landlord of my grandparents - but that's a story for another day. I also loved Undine from Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué.

Maybe that tells you a little bit who I am and how I think.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I think the most amazing thing I have done is raising four kids, and giving them a good education. I hope my kids will be carrying on my legacy and continue living their father's dream.

The first one has become a civil engineer, the second one works on his PhD after studying Law and Economy, the third one has become a social pedagogist, and the fourth one is is a wonderful kid of three years with a bright future. I'm proud of them all, and they are my most "amazing things I've ever done".

Teach, Learn, Share

Teaching, learning and sharing has been part of my everyday live for the past 30+ years. I have started being an adult teacher in 1985, and this has been something I have kept on doing ever since. I'm definitely not a know-it-all, but I am happy to share my knowledge, experience and wisdom with you.

What I Can Share with Hosts

What I can share with guests is time and space! The so-called developed world has depleted both of these assets. However, they are available here in abundance, ready to be shared with guests. Moreover, over time I have learned a lot about my new home country Malawi, it's people, it's culture, it's challenges and it's beautiful places.

Countries I’ve Visited

Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Kenya, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Germany, Malawi, Portugal, Switzerland