Staff on this page!

Ellen was born in Amsterdam but raised in Tokyo, Japan and Oxford, UK. She holds a degree in communication management and has a background in marketing and sales. Ellen started House o Orange in 2000 and is sole owner. She has 3 school age children (including twins) who are frequently featured on the website. Hobbies for Ellen include spending time with her children, travelling, reading, renovating houses and collecting Barbies. Ellen speaks Dutch and English fluently, some French and very basic Japanese.

Annelies is busy finishing her degree in American Studies at the University of Groningen. She interned for us over the summer of 2006 and started working for House o Orange full time in February 2007. Annelies was an au pair herself in the US and has a lot of knowledge and expertise with regard to the au pair program. Annelies speaks English and Dutch. Annelies is our Senior Program Manager and she is also responsible for our outbound program. She currently lives in The Hague. Annelies loves to travel and she especially enjoys travelling to the US to see her former host family.

Nastassja is originally from Jo'burg, South Africa. She has been in Holland for nearly a year as an au pair and is now ready to take the next step in her career. Nastassja is 23 years old and is also studying Psychology (she is a second year student). We are extremely happy to have her on board at our The Hague office now that she has finished her au pair year! Nastassja will be responsible for all visa applications, part of the inbound au pair as well as the outbound program and she will also liaise with au pairs for the Orange Au Pair Club. Nastassja is mulitlingual and speaks native English, Afrikaans and is perfecting her Dutch. She lives in The Hague and although her studies and fulltime job keep her fairly busy, she still has some time for hobbies which include cooking, reading, reading, socializing, exploring and having fun.

Willemijn was born in Amsterdam but has lived in Tokyo, Japan, Toronto, Canada and Michigan, USA. She currently lives in Belgium (Schilde) and is our interviewer for the region. Willemijn travels frequently between Belgium and Holland and has a busy life. She is a writer and reporter and has written a book as well as being a magazine editor and contributor. Hobbies for Willemijn include fashion, travelling and her grandchildren. Willemijn speaks Dutch, English, French and German.

Lizl Smit is originally from Pretoria but has also live in the Western Cape and in the UK. She was recently widowed and has a beautiful little boy. Lizl has a background in accounting but has also done a lot of training and recruitment in the work/travel field. We met Lizl a few years back when she suggested training our SA au pairs to better prepare them for culture shock in The Netherlands. Lizl is full of life and energy and ideas and we are really happy to have her on board at House o Orange South Africa. Lizl speaks English and Afrikaans. If you are South African and not in the Guateng area and are interested in au pairing, please contact Lizl at lizl@house-o-orange.co.za

Carla Verster is from Richards Bay and moved to Jo'burg in 2006. She au paired in the USA in 2001. She came back to South Africa and studied teaching and obtained her degree in 2005 cum laude. She was a grade 2 teacher for 4 years and joined the au pair industry in 2009. Carla is happily married and very passionate about her job and the au pairs that she sends overseas to Holland, Belgium and America. She loves to travel and has recently travelled to China and Europe and also loves to cook. Carla speaks English and Afrikaans. We feel that Carla embodies her last name as she has been a STAR from afar for quite some time now and we are really proud that she is now part of our House o Orange family. If you are in the Gauteng area, please contact Carla on aupair@absamail.co.za

Mandie Kriek is from Pretoria and has recently moved to the Cape Town area. She has a background in admin and will be assisting Lizl at our Melkbos office with all the files that come in. Mandie is single and has a little boy. Her motto is "life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass but it's about learning to dance in the rain." We feel that her positive attitude will be an asset to our Melkbos office. Mandie speaks English and Afrikaans and can be contacted at info@house-o-orange.co.za