Yoni, a mother of four, was 35 years old when she left El Salvador. As the political situation in her home country worsened and life became more and more unstable, Yoni’s husband worked tirelessly to find passage to a new country in which their family would be safe.

In 1988, Yoni and her husband and children packed a lifetime into a suitcase and set off to the country to which they’d been accepted, Australia.

“It was hard to adjust. But nothing is impossible if you try your best.”

In 1999, Yoni’s beloved husband got sick. Yoni became his carer, looking after him for more than 22 years.

“Until that point, he had done everything for the family. I had to learn to manage the house, as well as to care for him. It was then that I was introduced to SMRC and got all the help I needed.”

Yoni says she has no regrets. She is very proud of her children, all professionals with houses of their own–a testament, she says, to the sacrifices she and her husband made throughout the years.

Yoni attends SMRC’s Exercise Program and is a keen participant at The Hive, SMRC’s community garden located at Braeside Park.