It’s a long way from a refugee camp in West Africa to Palmerston in the Northern Territory. Precious has fitted in enough adventures for several lifetimes. After stints living in Brisbane and Adelaide, she has found her niche in the Top End.

“Darwin is warm like Africa,” she says.

“Down south is way too cold for me. Darwin is easy to find your way around, easy to drive around, and excellent for me. When it is really hot, we have air-con. There is certainly no air-conditioning in a refugee camp.”

Precious is a cheerful and hard-working person, evident from the first time she walked into our office in Palmerston that delivers services for the ParentsNext program where she teamed up with our Support Mentor Edith.

“I would recommend ParentsNext to anyone,” Precious says.

“I am a single mother with a three-year-old and a ten-year-old. The ParentsNext people understand all about children. When you go in there, there is a place where the children can play. As soon as you walk in, you feel like you don’t have to worry anymore.”

When Precious first attended ParentsNext, she did not know how to operate a computer, and she had a range of issues that were troubling her. Bamara enrolled her in a computer course and supported her with a laptop. She was referred to Allied Health to work with a counsellor.

“They help you every way they can think of to help yourself,” Precious says.

“If you need a counsellor, they can get someone to help you. I learned a lot of computer skills with the computer classes. They always encouraged me, helped me to apply for jobs. All the team was great to me.”

Precious aims to become a registered nurse and open an African grocery and clothes shop in Darwin.

Meanwhile, her desire to help other people has seen her land a job as a disability support worker at a local organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people with disability and their families.

“The work is okay because I love the people,” Precious says.

“I still hope I can become a nurse one day. My whole life, other people have helped me, so I want to give my own good feedback to society.”