When a client from a Tamil background comes to QPASTT, I am able to be a point of connection for them. That is a real privilege for me.”
Laks Jambulingum, member of QPASTT’s Support Services Team since 2007
โFrom the first call I had from QPASTT inviting me for an interview, I felt it was so calm, kind and welcoming. It really helped me build my confidence applying for my first job in Australia. When you feel that warmth, you feel more grounded and more confident and able to contribute more. QPASTT sees the potential in you and gives you opportunities to grow.
I have a Bachelor in Information Technology but it was very hard for me to get work in the IT industry in Australia because I didnโt have any local work experience. I was managing QPASTTโs Logan office reception and a project came up to develop a new client management software for QPASTT. My manager saw that I had some IT skills and I was able to step into a key role on that project, helping to build and implement the program. Iโve gained a lot of experience in systems and data.
When a client from a Tamil background comes to QPASTT, I am able to be a point of connection for them. They can talk with me in our language and feel a connection to their culture, to their home. That is a real privilege for me. It is hard to share what you have been through and ask for help. We can provide a safe space to just listen and that gives people hope. I want to be a part of creating that hope for people, even in a small way.โ
25 Years of Welcome – QPASTT’s Support Services Team
As part of our 25 year celebrations, we’re sharing the reflections of our Support Services team. They are the first point of welcome for our clients, stakeholders and staff. They are highly skilled, demonstrating the power of presence and kindness each day and creating a safe space to hold people in moments of great pain and distress.
While their stories share their thoughts on what it takes to cultivate this daily practice of kindness, care and dignity for people who have endured so much, their common reflection is of how supporting refugee survivors at QPASTT has been a consistent source of personal and professional growth that continues to deepen their own empathy and compassion.
