A long way from the border
Joanna Weeku, Werribee Community and Education Centre
Having spent almost 20 years living in a refugee camp on the Thai Burma border, before arriving in Australia Joanna had very limited contact with the world familiar to most Australians and spoke almost no English.
But then Joanna decided to enrol at Werribee Community and Education Centre where she started a journey that would see her develop new skills, more confidence and gain employment.
Joanna started with a language, literacy and numeracy program. Her confidence grew and she went on to enrol the bridging course ‘English for Hospitality’ and gain the Certificate I in Food Safety.
Joanna built on her training by participating in the Community Kitchen at Werribee Community and Education Centre, where she also took on the challenge of a supervisory role. The kitchen commenced as an ACFE funded project and now provides catering to the local community and its businesses.
In March 2010, Joanna took on a paid role with the Centre. What’s more, she is teaching at the Victorian School of Languages one day a week and performing in her spare time at various multicultural festivals throughout Victoria.
The trauma of civil war, displacement and 20 years in refugee camps may well have stopped a less determined person. Joanna is not only an inspiration to staff who have worked with her over the years but to other members of the growing Karen community in Victoria.