“I came from Papua New Guinea eleven years ago. I came to ASRC to get food and when they gave me food they told me, you can get work here too. 

They said I have work rights so I can earn my own money to pay my rent, and now I can do that! I have worked for ASRC Cleaning for five years. 

My first job is with ASRC cleaning. In my country I never did something like this – get up and dress up and go to work and bring home money. It’s something the man will do. I stayed home. But here it’s a big difference. When I work and I get paid, I pay rent. It gives me independence. I can stand on my own. I can support my children and my husband.

We have three children – two boys aged twenty-five and eleven years, and a sixteen-year-old daughter. My husband works three days a week as a mechanic and I work five days a week for ASRC Cleaning.

I am the boss of my own work, that’s the thing I like about working here. When they give me work I have to get there on time and manage my time. That’s very important. My manager doesn’t come and check on the work I do. When I clean, the feedback from the customer will come back to my manager. The customers put a smile on my face so I have to put a smile on their face as well. 

At home I have a vegetable garden. I grow silverbeet, kale and pumpkin for my family and to share with my neighbours. My dream is one day to have my own shop so I can make and sell traditional PNG bilum bags.

I have sold the bags in craft markets. Most people like them and they buy them. The price I sell them for depends on how hard the work is to make them. The more effort I put in the more I charge.

Working has made a big difference in my life. It even helps me improve my English. Other cleaning businesses are out there, but they operate differently. My children, my husband – we are happy. It supports us, so we are not left behind. I’m independent and I’m strong. I can do anything.”