The Inspiring Journey of Kristina, Prace’s Admin Officer

At the beginning of 2024, Prace welcomed a new member to its team: Kristina, an admin officer whose journey to Australia is as inspiring as it is remarkable.

Kristina’s story begins in Vietnam, where she was born, before her family moved to Cambodia during a tumultuous period in the country’s history. Faced with challenges and uncertainty, her family made the courageous decision to leave Cambodia, embarking on a journey that would lead them to Australia.

Reflecting on this time, Kristina shares, “We could only take what we could carry and we had to pay soldiers to take us to Thailand. I didn’t really know what was happening, but I was very scared. We walked for a long time through the forest, just wearing thongs on our feet. At night, we slept on the forest floor and my mother would put cotton wool in my ears to keep the ants out.

Finally we walked out of the forest one night and we were told to be very quiet. It was so dark when we boarded the boat. I remember when we were told to get off the boat, we were thrown into the water. It was terrifying. Someone grabbed me but they were carrying me upside down and my head was under water. I have never forgotten that feeling. Now we go camping a couple of times a year. I still get frightened in the water or when I’m in the bush because it reminds me of when I was a child, but I want to do it for my children so they can enjoy camping.

When we reached the shore in Thailand we had to walk through heavy mud and I lost my thongs. We stayed in a tiny room and I remember that my mum was really sick.  Luckily my uncle sponsored us to come to Australia. We stayed in a hostel for a few months and I remember it being so cold compared with Vietnam and Cambodia. We moved in with my aunt and uncle, and finally we were able to rent our own house.

Each day my mum would give me a sandwich and a litre of milk to take to school. I found it really weird because I hadn’t really eaten those things before, but she was so sure that it was what you should take to an Australian school!

A couple of kids at school could speak to me in my language, which was good, and I took ESL classes. My parents gave my age as younger than I really was, so that I could start in the lower class at school because I didn’t speak English well enough. But of course when I got to high school, the last thing I wanted was to be with younger kids! A teacher helped me to get my age officially corrected. I had to see a doctor and get a statutory declaration and go through a whole process to get my proper age recognised.”

Life today: Kristina recalls, “I had been focusing on caring for the family for many years, just taking on casual admin work in food service and retail during school hours. However now that both my daughters are in high school I decided to take on a more substantial position.”

Joining Prace earlier this year, Kristina found a supportive and welcoming environment where her skills and talents are valued. Kristina’s positive attitude and dedication make her a valuable asset to the Prace team. She remarks, “Working at Prace is perfect for me and I feel like everything has fallen into place. The job is fast-paced and interesting, so I look forward to coming to work each day.”

“At home we speak Teochew and I write in Mandarin (and English). My parents speak Cantonese, Vietnamese and Cambodian, but I only understand a bit of it. Such a shame.” Kristina explains. “I learnt more Vietnamese after I got married as my husband’s side speak Vietnamese. In Asia you need to be multilingual!”

Beyond her work at Prace, Kristina finds joy in the simple pleasures of everyday life, including her beloved dog Rookie. She affectionately states, “My daughter had a Persuasive Essay assignment for school and she presented a very strong case for why she should be allowed to get a dog and how she would look after it, feed it, clean up its poo and so on. It was a very good essay and we got a dog – and now of course my husband and I do pretty much all the work for Rookie. But I love him, so I don’t complain, not even about walking him!” Despite the added responsibilities of pet ownership, Kristina cherishes the bond she shares with Rookie and the happiness he brings to her family.

Kristina’s journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Her determination to overcome adversity and build a better life for herself and her family serves as an inspiration to us all.

Thank you for sharing your story, Kristina!