Meet Yehansa – from Counselling to the Kitchen
Background
Yehansa only recently moved to Australia. Before entering the aged care sector, she had built a deeply impactful career in Sri Lanka’s public sector. She spent six years as a Psychological Counsellor at the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, after earlier working as a District Coordinating Officer with the Sri Lanka Social Security Board, supporting pension programs for private-sector and non-government workers.
As a counsellor, she worked across schools, youth groups, rural communities, government offices and private sector staff. Her work spanned child protection, vocational training, education initiatives, drama therapy, motivation programs and capacity-building projects. It was a role that demanded empathy, active listening, patience, critical thinking and solution-focused problem-solving, often all at once.
Through this work, she developed a strong awareness of how psychological and cognitive challenges affect physical wellbeing, including appetite, swallowing, mood, and overall quality of life. All insights that would later prove invaluable in the aged care sector.
Transition and challenges
After relocating, she began exploring pathways into aged care – a sector that aligned closely with her values of service, dignity and holistic wellbeing. While she was deeply experienced in caring roles, stepping into a commercial kitchen environment felt quite intimidating at first.
When she initially enrolled in Cultivating Community’s Aged Care Cooks Course she was worried about her lack of confidence and concerned the language barriers and unfamiliar kitchen systems would put her at a disadvantage, but she was motivated by a desire to build practical skills that complemented her background.
Yehansa’s Experience with Cultivating Community’s Aged Care Cooks Employment Pathways Program
From the beginning, Yehansa has shared that the supportive and inclusive learning environment made a significant difference to her development. She describes the team as kind, patient and accommodating, allowing her confidence to grow steadily throughout the course and let her learn at her own pace.
Although her husband is a chef, she hadn’t cooked much previously due to long working hours and access to home help. That absence had left her feeling that something important and valuable was missing. Through the course, Yehansa completed 30 hours of hands-on training and 22 hours of work experience with our team. She also rediscovered cooking as a form of creative expression and care, which she describes as a form of art in its own way. She learned new recipes, developed confidence in kitchen processes and began to see food not just as nourishment, but as a powerful tool for comfort, connection and wellbeing. This is especially crucial for older people from Melbourne’s diverse community where food is a big part of their identity and cultural expression.
Her background in counselling translated naturally into the kitchen, from problem-solving under pressure to attention to detail. Showing patience, empathy and kindness which will translate well when supporting older residents whose conditions affect their appetite, mood, or daily routines.
“I came into the Aged Care Cooks Course feeling unsure, not just about my role in the kitchen but also the language barrier and my belief in myself. But this course changed everything. It gave me a real confidence boost and a chance to learn practical skills. Cooking for older people is not just about food, it’s about dignity, understanding and care. If you are thinking about joining, don’t be afraid. This course will support you and it may open a door you didn’t even know you were looking for.”
Outcomes and Impact
The Aged Care Cooks Course became a turning point for Yehansa. As well as a renewed love of cooking, she was able to increase her confidence in a professional kitchen and learn practical skills directly aligned with aged care standards which has given her a stronger sense of purpose and belonging. The program’s strengths lie in supporting skilled migrants to transition into new industries by recognising and building on existing professional strengths. Aged Care Cooks enables us to create meaningful employment pathways in high-need sectors like aged care and helps to foster purpose-driven careers that benefit both individuals and the community.
Yehansa was also part of the Space2b Experience Programme, ‘Space2work’, which provides people with on-the-job work experience across our shop, gallery, café and events. Yehansa gained hands-on experience in their shop while also improving her conversational English. She takes part in their Friday Conversational English group, where local CALD participants and mentors come together to converse, share and connect. Through the programme, she made new friends, practised her English and gained valuable experience and training in a real-life retail environment.
What’s next
Yehansa’s story has come full circle: from supporting communities through counselling, to caring for older people through food and now, to empowering others to do the same. She credits the team with strengthening her understanding of how nutrition, care and dignity intersect in aged care settings. She aims to complete her Certificate III in Individual Support and is committed to building a long-term career in the aged care sector. Having recently secured a part time position as a Support Worker in an aged care setting, she assists older residents with daily living activities such as personal care, mobility support and meal assistance. She also focuses on providing companionship, emotional support and helping residents stay socially engaged, while always working in a person-centred and culturally safe way. She told us: “The role has helped me put into practice what I learned during the Aged Care Cooks course, particularly communication skills, dignity in care and understanding individual needs. It’s been a very meaningful experience so far and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Yehansa is also continuing to work with Cultivating Community in a paid role as a peer mentor to help support and inspire the next aged care cooks cohort, particularly those who may have similar feelings to her or who are new to Australia and are lacking confidence at the start. In addition,
