Job ends 12 years in the dark
Laures Tumata is like a new woman. For 12 years, grief and depression after the death of her son left her angry, jobless and alone raising children.
Her “world fell apart”, she was zoned out and closed off.
Last month, she cut off her long black hair, took off the beanie hiding her eyes and bought “nice clothes”.
A new door for job training had opened. She wanted to make a good impression this time, despite her nerves and lack of confidence.
Last week, she worked her first week since 2006.
Many people turn their nose up at room attendants’ work, but Tumata “loves” it.
“I don’t like going home . . . sometimes they’ve got to throw me out,” she joked when speaking to the
“It’s the last thing I think about before I go to sleep, and the first thing when I wake up in the morning.”
Work gives her a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Tumata’s new role at Novotel comes after a series of changes and opportunities in the past two months.
Through Work and Income, she was invited to a seminar about the Building Futures programme with AccorHotels. She went along with no idea what it was about, but she left “intrigued”.
A week later project manager Nicolette van Lieshout asked her to train at the assessment centre, and meet employers. Five weeks later she graduated.
The was there to see 27 graduates get certificates from Bay of Plenty Labour list MP Angie Warren-Clarke.
Said van Lieshout: “We found a flower that just needed good soil and a sprinkle of water.”