From client to volunteer to mentor

I came to Australia from Peru four years ago. In Peru I worked in marketing and reservations and, before that, in a non-governmental organisation. After school, I studied biology but I have always been inclined to social work and, for several years, I worked as a volunteer with children in orphanages, hospitals and in mental health facilities.

When I arrived in Australia, my English was good but not good enough and I struggled with the different accents and change in culture. I began working in hospitality, waitressing, housekeeping, babysitting – whichever job would allow me to learn more about Australian culture and improve my language skills. Everything was so fast! I was confused by where to go and even to ask how to get there. This was a real barrier for me and it led to depression. I felt very homesick.

The first year was very hard for me but, by the second year, I started to get myself back together. I realised that improving my life would be a process which would take time and resilience. Therefore, I returned to study. It was very challenging but, at the same time, stimulating and it motivated me to keep on going so that I could do what was in my heart. I did a bridging course for VCE to get my first qualification. It was difficult but I managed to work hard and pass.

LEXI'S STORY - Why she's dressing up as a dinosaur for this year's Dare to Wear Day.

I always found myself not sure how to answer “so what does your Mum do for a living?” when she was not working or just doing bits and pieces of work or volunteering. “She's not working at the moment, but,” I would say “she used to be a management consultant and have her own business, she's really intelligent, she got the second highest score at her highschool and  got into Law/Arts at Melbourne University, and then she did journalism, and worked in the public service, writing speeches for politicians, then got into HR, then.... etc”  because I don't want anyone looking down on my Mum or think that she had always been unemployed, or that it was because she was lazy or unintelligent.

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Watch Angela’s story and discover how she regained her self-esteem and confidence to put her best foot forward at interviews with the help of Fitted for Work and the team at EvoTV.

Supporting refugees and migrants

All our clients have two things in common: they all arrive a little nervous and unsure, and they all leave smiling, feeling relaxed and confident. And it was no different for this group of young Sudanese women who recently visited our Morwell boutique.

The four teenagers arrived with their teacher and employment consultant, chatting and laughing, but reticent. They were treated to a wardrobe makeover and given some training on how to handle a job interview. The women erupted with laughter as they looked at each other in outfits that were totally alien to them. However, they all looked totally amazing and employable.

The women shared stories of their life in Sudan. Having been born there, they felt they were straddling two cultures. We soon learned that how Australian women present themselves in an interview could be seen as disrespectful in Sudanese eyes.