The chance for a good life – Ingy’s story
Ingy has found purpose in her life after leaving an abusive marriage and pursuing a career as a Personal Carer.
The former job seeker was looking forward to life in Melbourne after marrying in Egypt. Instead, she found herself a victim of domestic violence. She was alone, with no family or friends and living in a women’s shelter for safety.
“I had no purpose to my life,” Ingy said.
“I didn’t even want to be alive. I felt depressed and cried a lot.”
Ingy faced disownment if she returned to Egypt. Fortunately, she was granted a visa to stay in Australia and then met with MatchWorks Employment Consultant, Indra Paterno.
A helping hand
“Ingy didn’t have much confidence in herself and was reluctant to engage with our Health and Wellbeing Consultant,” Indra said.
“To begin with, when she was feeling down, we’d head out from the office and talk things through.”
With the help of Indra, Post Placement Support Consultant, David Marshall and Customer Service Officer, Paula Camilleri, Ingy was able to:
- Improve her computer literacy.
- Work out payment for a Certificate III in Disability Support.
- Update her resume.
- Hone her interview skills.
- Get her first aid certificate.
A step towards better times
“I’m happier and busier. I enjoy socialising now, and I have a lot of friends at work. Before it was hard for me to pay for things like driving lessons but now it’s a lot easier to do that kind of thing.” Ingy
With Ingy feeling more confident, she was able to find work as a Personal Carer.
“I enjoyed helping my clients in their daily routine – every day was different,” Ingy said.
“Working in the disability industry helped me to improve my skills…I started to explore the world around me, and I’m more confident to meet other people and have a chat.”
But without a driver licence, Ingy found it difficult to travel to clients. Then the lockdowns and restrictions during 2020 put her plans to get her licence on hold.
With Ingy determined to stay on track, MatchWorks Business Development Consultant, Pete Hunter helped her to find a stepping-stone job which didn’t require as much travel. She has now been in the role for six months and is excited about restarting her career once she gets her licence.
The chance for a good life
Ingy is incredibly grateful for the support she has received so far. Her future goal is to become a newborn care specialist.
“I’m happier and busier, I enjoy socialising now, and I have a lot of friends at work. Before it was hard for me to pay for things like driving lessons but now it’s a lot easier to do that kind of thing,” she said.
“MatchWorks is my sweet family. Because of their help, I have the chance to have a good life for me and my fur babies.”
Find out more about our employment services for job seekers and businesses, or call 1300 13 23 63 to chat to your local team.