Today, on Residential Care Employee Day, RSL LifeCare would like to thank Dolma for working in Residential Care

I am originally from Tibet and came to Australia in 2011. I left my country in 2009, escaping as a young teenager into Nepal and then India. My mum had gone ahead of me with my brother, sister and cousins but I stayed behind with my grandparents because it was too dangerous for us to escape together. Her plan was to come back to get me but it became too risky to cross back and forth, so we were separated.

Life in Tibet was very bad There was no freedom of speech and we lived in fear. I could talk to my mum on the phone occasionally and one day I said to her “I want to get out, whatever it might cost me.” She said, “It’s really dangerous, you might die on the way.” I said “It’s my choice. If I die on the way, I won’t regret it”. I felt like I had nothing to lose.

“I like to do the nails for the ladies or help them with their eyebrows because they love it; everybody likes to look pretty. I love our residents; they feel like grandparents to me.”

– Dolma

By this time mum was in Australia on a humanitarian visa. She started using her network to put a plan in place. Finally it was time. It took about six months in total but the actual escape was two nights and three days of complete terror as I was smuggled through safe houses, over mountains and across raging rivers to Nepal. Finally, I was free. I’ll never forget the moment I was able to phone my mum to tell her I had made it out.

I stayed in India for another year and a half, studying English at the Tibetan School until I was able to come to Australia. When I met mum at the airport we cried and cried because after 5 years we were finally together again.

I’ve been working at RSL LifeCare for three years as a Carer and I love my job. When I have a bit of spare time I always sit with the residents and talk about my story and their story because they love hearing about my life and I love learning about theirs. I like to do the nails for the ladies or help them with their eyebrows because they love it; everybody likes to look pretty. I love our residents; they feel like grandparents to me.

My sister is now at university studying Health Sciences to become a physiotherapist. My brother is at Sydney University studying Civil Engineering and when they have finished I would like to go to University to become a Registered Nurse in Residential Care.

– Liecuo Dolma (known as Dolma). Carer, Kokoda Care Home, ANZAC Village Narrabeen