Meeting Joel for the first time, it's hard not to notice his neck tattoos. On one side is the large strawberry logo of his employer, Hillwood Berries, and on the other are the numbers 8-2-3, his employee ID.
Perhaps few people would consider a tattoo to commemorate their place of work, however Joel credits his employer for altering the course of his life.
“I decided to get these tattoos to express my gratitude to them [Hillwood Berries] for giving me a chance,” he said.
Joel is from Timor-Leste and was selected by Hillwood Berries in Tasmania to work during the picking season as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
“Thanks to Hillwood Berries I have been able to achieve my goals and will be able to look after my family into the future.”
A life-changing opportunity
Before joining the PALM scheme, Joel had never been formally employed. Instead, he worked on his parents’ coffee farm where he would harvest and sell their produce.
“In Timor-Leste, there are few jobs that pay enough salary to provide for a family,” he said.
When Joel was offered a role on the PALM scheme, he knew it would be a life-changing opportunity.
“A few of my friends were selected to work in Australia soon after they applied, but I waited around 11 months before I got a call to say I was accepted. I was starting to get worried.” he said.
“My wife and I were very happy when we found out I had been selected.”
After first arriving in Australia in late 2019 for what was supposed to be a 6-month contract with Hillwood Berries, Joel was unable to return home due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
As time went on, the family was feeling the strain of separation.
“When I left, my eldest daughter was 4 years old, and my wife was pregnant with our son. I wasn’t there when he was born - I only saw him over video call. When I finally returned to Timor-Leste and met him, he didn’t recognise me. I was proud to meet him but also sad.”
Joel said he will never forget the efforts made by Hillwood Berries to ensure their workers were comfortable throughout this difficult period.
“They were always very thoughtful, they gave us money to get food and clothes and organised many activities to make the time in Australia easier while away from our families,” he said.
The far-reaching effects of goodwill
Joel understood how fortunate he was to be selected and wanted to share the benefits of this opportunity with others in his community.
“I set my own goals like building a house, but I also wanted to start businesses,” he said.
From just one job opportunity working in Australia, Joel built a house for his family and started four different businesses which have created jobs for a further nine people.
“I opened a small kiosk where my wife works, selling goods in the village, as well as a motorbike repair shop run by my brother and 4 others,” he said.
Identifying gaps in the local market, Joel also started a chair rental business and set up a small public transport service.
“With my chair rental business, I have 600 chairs which people rent for events on the weekend and I employ 2 people to manage this. I also bought a pickup truck which my other brother drives to transport passengers.”
“My next plan is to start a shirt-printing business so people in my community won’t need to travel to Dili to have that done,” he said.
Joel has returned to work on the berry farm for several seasons now. Reflecting on his recent visit, Joel gives thanks to his employer for the impact that they have had on his family and community.
“Hillwood Berries taught me about time management which has helped me with running these businesses.
“Even to this day, when my parents or other people in the community remind me of my success, I still cannot believe it. It is like a dream,” he said.
