We recently caught up with Timorese worker Angelo Do Rosario Lay. Angelo has been working in a hospitality role through the Australian government’s Seasonal Worker Programme.
Though employment opportunities have been improving over the last decade in Timor-Leste, many families still live in extreme poverty.
There simply aren’t enough jobs to go around.
Angelo was able to find work through the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) , an initiative that offers people in the Pacific and Timor-Leste opportunities to earn an income and learn new skills in Australia- opportunities that would not be available to them back home. The SWP arranges for workers to come to Australia for six-month stints, filling in gaps in the Australian workforce. These roles are predominantly in the horticulture and hospitality industries.
Angelo has been working as a Food and Beverage Team Leader at Cable Beach Resort in Broome since 2012, returning to his family every year after six months on the job. “I gained a lot of experience while working here,” he tells us. “Now I know how to make cocktails and coffee.”
“It has been my dream to work in Hospitality in my country, so I can share my experience that I gained when I worked in Australia.”
“I am really lucky with the company I am working with now. They have been helping us a lot; providing for us to go to do an English Course, Hospitality Course and Health and Safety Induction.”
Angelo sends his earnings home to his family in Timor-Leste. He misses his family and Timorese cuisine dearly, but has found it easy to make friends among his Australian colleagues. Working in Australia differs considerably to that of Timor. “The equipment is more modern, and punctuality is important here,” he laughs.
We’re so glad to see more and more positive economic change happening in Timor-Leste.
Wild Timor Coffee’s mission is to contribute to this change by buying and roasting Timorese coffee, and you can help us by getting your own bag of delicious coffee right here.
Sources:
https://devpolicy.org/why-timorese-workers-love-the-seasonal-worker-programme-20180612/