Happy Birthday, Granny Aupair!
Happy Birthday, Granny Apair!
Happy Birthday, Granny Aupair!
The Hamburg-based agency has been connecting people worldwide for 15 years - thousands of ‘guest Grannies’ have travelled to over 50 countries.
15 years of adventure, wanderlust, unforgettable experiences and heart-warming encounters between young and old. 15 years of Granny Aupair! Since 2010, several thousand women from many countries have travelled to over 50 countries around the world under the motto: ‘Get off the couch - out into the world’.
Thanks to Granny Aupair, women aged between 45 and 80 have plucked up the courage to fulfil their lifelong dream. Michaela Hansen, founder of Granny Aupair: “Countless women have travelled around the world to help families or social projects. They have immersed themselves in other cultures and overcome numerous challenges.“ No matter how far away they travelled.
15 years ago, Hamburg-based Michaela Hansen (63), mother of two and now grandmother of four, had a brilliant idea. She asked herself: “Wouldn't it be wonderful if experienced women from the 50-plus generation set off into the world, overcoming national borders, language barriers and cultural hurdles?“. The Granny Aupair idea was born and Michaela Hansen never let it go. Without a business plan, but with courage and commitment, Hansen put her plan into action. In January 2010, the self-employed PR specialist launched her agency Granny Aupair at www.granny-aupair.com - the first of its kind in the world at the time - with an appeal in the media ‘Granny wanted as an au pair for Canada’. A few months later, the first Granny Aupair set off on her journey. Destination: Canada.
Over the last 15 years, many stories have arisen and numerous encounters have taken place. One example is the Granny who went to New Zealand and never came back because she fell in love with a ‘Kiwi’ (local). Another experienced how crying children smashed their piggy bank to hasten the Granny’s return or Granny Brigitte, who not only searched for new horizons in Mexico, but parachuted straight into them.
“It's a win-win situation for everyone: the Granny experiences a country differently and more intensively than a tourist; and the host family also benefits from the temporary family member,’ says the founder of the online agency. „The fact that our concept is so well received is shown, for instance by the high number of our ‘repeaters’ - over 50 per cent of our families and Grannies have already opted for Granny Aupair more than once. It is not uncommon for real, long-term friendships to develop between the temporary grandmas and ‘their’ families.“
Michaela Hansen is justly proud of her project and the Granny Aupair birthday “girl”: “Our core philosophy is cultural exchange. It brings people together who would probably never have met without Granny Aupair.”
Happy Birthday, Granny Aupair!
About Granny Aupair
With the agency Granny Aupair, Michaela Hansen created the first platform of its kind in January 2010. Just two years after it was founded, Granny Aupair was honoured by the ‘Germany - Land of Ideas’ initiative. Further awards, such as the Emotion Award, followed. In November 2013, the book ‘Als Granny Aupair in die Welt’ (Around the world as Granny Aupair) was published by dtv[G1]. Granny Aupair is a coinage that is deliberately based on the well-known idea of an au pair. The Hamburg initiative is also based on ‘reciprocity’ (French for au pair). The Grannies incorporate themselves into the families, share everyday life and thus experience a foreign country more intensively and directly. The online placement portal www.granny-aupair.com is international and available in four languages.
Press contact and Interview requests:
Michaela Hansen Founder and Owner, Granny Aupair Osterstraße 58 D-20259 Hamburg
Germany
E-Mail: michaela.hansen@granny-aupair.com
