FIVE women with disabilities have successfully completed the first “Include Disability Employ this Ability Domestic Cleaning” (IDEA) training course.
IDEA is a program to get persons with disability in to jobs.
IDEA program adviser Lyn Hatton said four of the women were members of the Fiji Association for the Deaf and one was a member of the Psychiatric Survivors Association.
Ms Hatton said the training program included all aspects of house cleaning, including how to maintain houses for expats and Fijian families.
She said many of the trainee cleaners had never encountered some of the items that could now be found in many Fiji homes such as dishwashers, electronic washing machines and clothes driers.
According to Ms Hatton, the course covered formal training in the techniques of cleaning homes, using environmentally-safe cleaning products and practical application of skills in cleaning a range of homes.
Ms Hatton, who is an Australian volunteer, said majority of the women were deaf so they were very “quiet” cleaners.
“And can communicate with people by writing and using text messaging. The co-ordinator of IDEA domestic cleaning can sign (deaf sign language) and so can I.
“A team of skilled cleaners, under the supervision of the cleaning co-ordinator are offering a special service to ‘Freshen Your Home for Christmas’. Even families who have a regular house cleaner can benefit from the IDEA clean team who can help with the forgotten areas of regular house-cleaning,” said Ms Hatton.
She said the IDEA domestic cleaners would receive a good hourly rate of pay with the aim to build up to a good wage with the benefit of FNPF (superannuation), and be able to support themselves and their families.
Ms Hatton said the women were very proud of their work and were champions in the new social enterprise, helping to get persons with disabilities real jobs.
