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Former PH teacher turns passion for kids into livelihood in Australia
GOLD COAST, Australia — Former Montessori teacher Josefina Lim has successfully built a life overseas making a difference in preschool children's lives. Fueled by her passion for guiding and educating children, Josefina put up Joyful Learners Montessori House (JLMH) Family Day Care in 2015 in Gold Coast, Australia.
Now nearing retirement, she is looking at shifting to providing support for dementia patients using the Montessori way.
Josefina says she owes her Montessori experience to her stint as a primary school teacher in OB Montessori in the Philippines.
"I initially applied as a guidance counsellor. It was very competitive. There were IQ tests, psychology tests, personality tests. There was also training. The director thought I would be good in a classroom, and asked if I wanted to try it. I did, and I loved it. I taught Grades 2 and 3 for a few years. I also became a consultant at St. Martin Montessori in Angono, Rizal," she says.
Born in Pampanga and raised in Tondo, Manila as the youngest in a brood of five, Josefina finished high school at Jose Abad Santos High School and took up BS Psychology at Far Eastern University (FEU).
"We were raised by hardworking parents. My mother was a seamstress and my father worked at the maintenance department of Panasonic," she says.
From Manila to New Zealand
While visiting her sister in New Zealand in 1992, Josefina was faced with an offer she was unable to resist—an opportunity to work in a Montessori school.
"I was visiting my sister and got offered a job. My sister introduced me to the priest at the church she goes to, and there was a Montessori school behind the church. The priest then introduced me to the owner of the school. I did a teaching demonstration, and I got offered a job. I was lucky and blessed to be at the right place at the right moment," she recounts.
From 1992 to 1996, she worked at Portland House Montessori Pre-School in Auckland.
It was also in New Zealand where she met her husband Johnny, who at the time, was working for an architectural firm.
After they got married and their eldest child was born, Josefina stopped teaching. She and Johnny, whose family in the Philippines owned small hotels in Manila and Baguio, decided to venture into the motel/apartment business.
"It was called Claudelands Motel. We ran it for two years, from 1997. It was a nine-unit motel. We were a husband and wife team. We did this so we can be with our children. It was hard work—booking, marketing, laundry, cooking. At the time, we also sponsored both our parents to migrate to New Zealand," she says.
Crossing over to Australia
In 2001, the Lim family and Johnny's parents relocated to sunny Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
"We had two kids by then—Celina and Jonathan. We love the weather, the beautiful beaches, and the opportunities it will give our family," she says.
"We started over again. I worked in a Montessori Child Care Centre. I worked in a tuck shop (cafeteria) and uniform shop of a Catholic school. We also tried a few businesses—vending machines, even a sandwich bar. My husband and I are not scared of trying different ventures. In July 2013, we set up our own Montessori Child Care Centre in Southport. In 2015, we started JLMH Family Day Care," Josefina recalls.
Today, JLMH Family Day Care offers a beautiful, inviting, safe and secure place for children ages two to five years old.
"Our little children's house is surrounded by nature. Our ground is nestled beside a reserve. Our garden has lots of flowering plants, vegetables patches which are being looked after by our young and keen gardeners. Native animals always visit our yard—eastern water dragons, geckos, king parrots, kookaburras, cockatoos, lorikeets," she says.
Josefina says child care educators need passion, patience and understanding of children.
"Care and respect for self, other people and our environment are embedded in our practice and daily actions. I'm passionate about giving the children under my care the best start of their learning process. I believe that my Montessori practice is enabling children to be curious, independent and to have a natural desire to learn," she adds.
After almost 10 years of running a child care center, Josefina says she is looking at focusing on Montessori education for dementia patients. She is also keen to do volunteer work.
"The Montessori way nurtures independence, personal growth, self-worth, and a sense of belonging. Montessori for dementia and ageing focuses on supporting the person and its environment as they deal with memory loss and independence, so they can still engage in meaningful activities," says Josefina.
"I'm grateful to be able to do what I love and earn a living as well," she adds. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
