Setting goals and making plans: How Hong is making her dreams reality
Hong, a young mother and beautician from Vietnam has exciting plans. After a great start participating in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) through Navitas Skilled Futures (NSF), she’s embracing her new life in Australia with both hands and setting goals for her future.
Hong arrived in Sydney to live with her husband and new baby soon after they were married in Vietnam. “We carried with us not just our belongings, but our aspirations for a better life,” she says. She was keen to work but understood that as a beautician keen to deliver great customer service, she needed to speak in English to her clients. Without family support, she also needed help and advice around caring for her child.
Her husband had already lived in Australia and knew about NSF. When Hong discovered that not only could she attend AMEP training – which is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs – but access free childcare within the same building, she couldn’t believe it. “Finally, an opportunity to learn without worrying about my daughter’s safety and happiness,” she says.
Even better, the childcare workers spoke Vietnamese, a godsend for Hong who was finding both motherhood and understanding English very challenging.
“I thought, ‘this is my opportunity’,” she says.
She found the Vietnamese-speaking childcare staff were keen to help her with parenting tips for her baby, especially around cooking. “They taught me ‘you need to cook like this’”, remembers Hong. She adds “And then my baby ate more. She didn’t like my cooking before, but she ate more. It was really good.”
Admitting she’s an extrovert that likes to get out of the house, Hong also found herself making her first friends in Australia through NSF. “I’ve got a good friend from Cambodia. And a friend from Syria.” She loves when they compare traditions and customs from their cultures. “It’s pretty cool when we compare what is different.”
She also relished the introduction to Australian beaches, with NSF taking her class to visit Bondi Beach. “They teach safety at the beach. I think it’s really useful,” she says.
After completing her course at NSF, Hong was able to pick up some weekend work as a nail technician.
Ultimately, Hong wishes to gain her Australian credentials to become a professional beauty tattooist, but she’s also keen to use the primary teaching degree she completed in Vietnam. She’s heard that in some Sydney schools they teach Vietnamese. “I loved when I worked as a teacher,” she says. “I think my certificate in Vietnam may be helpful here.”
“I said to myself ‘with this support I can do this'”
Hong, AMEP Cabramatta client
Hong is thrilled to be living in Australia but admits it was very hard at first. She is keen to share her story with other migrants if it helps them. She particularly encourages people to open up if they are in difficulty so they can get the right support.
“The classes gave me confidence to communicate and understand more clearly. I started to believe in myself again, knowing that I could achieve my goals step by step. Today, I feel more confident than ever.
“When I came here, I had no friends, and it was stressful to be a good mum, good wife, good daughter-in-law. But at NSF my classmates supported me and cared about me. I think people in Australia are very caring about each other. I think that it is really good for people who have just come to Australia, like me.
“I said to myself, ‘with this support, I can do this’.
“My journey has taught me the importance of perseverance, community support, and never giving up on your dreams. I am truly grateful to Navitas in Cabramatta, and everyone involved in supporting me along the way. I am so grateful to the Australian Government who has given people like me a new start, to be able to study and learn English for free and to be able to call Australia home.
“My story is just beginning, and I am proud to be building my new life in Australia.”