Two Samoan women are grateful for their caregiving services professions in Australia during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Visor Auvele and Rachel Sale from Samoa are personal care workers at Bolton Clarke’s Cunningham Villas, a residential aged care community in the coastal town of Bowen, Queensland.
The women have worked in Australia since 2019 through the Pacific Labour Scheme.
Like many other PLS workers, the Pacific Island border closures will mean they will have to stay in Australia and continue working during the pandemic.
According to Auvele and Sale, the pandemic has not disrupted their lives thanks to a safe and supportive environment in their workplace and in their local community.
“I’m not worried about COVID-19, my workplace looks after me and I feel loved, “
“My manager is a good man and always calls us to check in. Our connection as a family here. I’m so proud of it,” Sale said.
Auvele said the local environment in northeast Queensland also feels like home.
“Bowen is beautiful, it takes me closer to home. There’s coconut, hibiscus, flowers and no traffic. We’re working in a safe, warm environment, it’s a good thing to wake up to,” she said.
The Pacific tradition of caring for the elderly makes this role uniquely suitable for Samoan short term employment
Auvele said the responsibility of looking after the residents in the Bolton Clarke community has helped her to cope with the uncertainty of living through the virus crisis.
“There are people who really need care, and with COVID 19 it’s essential we all look after the elderly. That keeps me going!”
Along with Australian-standard Certificate III in Community Services qualifications, the duo both said they take pride in bringing Samoan cultural and social traditions around caring for older people to their jobs in Bowen.
“In Samoa we don’t have aged care, we look after our own elderly people. There’s no difference in how I care for people here to how I cared for my granny when she was alive,” Sale said.
“The best medicine is to entertain them. I sing and dance with them.”
Auvele and Sale continue to send money back to Samoa to help their families in this uncertain time.