Alexa had always lived a simple life in Benguet, where farming was a way of survival. She grew up helping her parents in their small vegetable garden planting sayote, beans, and cabbage on the mountain slopes. But as the years passed, typhoons and fluctuating market prices made life harder. Her children often went to school with borrowed notebooks, and the family sometimes ate only rice with salt. Deep in her heart, Alexa knew she had to make a sacrifice if she wanted her kids to have better opportunities.
When she learned of a job opening in Australia as a vegetable picker, she didn’t think twice. The contract was only for seasonal work, but the pay was far greater than what she could earn selling vegetables in the local market. With her husband’s encouragement, she applied. It was her first time traveling abroad, and her heart ached as she waved goodbye to her children at the airport. She carried only one suitcase, but she also carried the heavy weight of her family’s hopes.
In Australia, Alexa’s days began sunrise. By 5 am, she was already at the fields, wearing gloves, a hat, and long sleeves to shield herself from the sun. Her job was to harvest lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and capsicums. It was backbreaking work bending down for hours, carrying baskets filled with vegetables, and sometimes working under the scorching heat. The farm supervisors were strict about quality, every vegetable had to be inspected before packing. At first, Alexa struggled to keep with the pace of the other workers. Her hands ached, her back felt sore, and blisters formed on her fingers.
But Alexa was determined. She pushed herself day after day, reminding herself that every crate of vegetable she filled was another step toward her children’s education. Slowly, she grew faster and stronger, learning techniques from fellow workers from the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. During lunch breaks, they sat under the shade of trees, sharing food and stories about their families back home. It was in those moments that Alexa found comfort, realizing she wasn’t alone in her struggles.
Despite the hardships, there were also moments of beauty. She often marveled at the wide, open fields and the golden sunsets that painted the sky. Sometimes, as she picked vegetables, she thought about her own small garden back in Benguet, and how her children used to help her water the plants. The small of fresh earth reminded her of home, and she silently promised herself that one day she would return to plant again but this time with less worry about money.
After months of hard work, Alexa received her first big paycheck. Tears welled in her eyes when she sent money home, enough to pay her children’s school fees and repair their looking roof. On a video call, her eldest proudly showed her a medal from school, saying, Mama, this is for you. Her heart swelled with joy, knowing her sacrifices were bearing fruit.
By the end of her contract, Alexa had saved enough to start a small sari-sari store and buy more land for farming in the Philippines. Her children no longer went to school hungry, and her husband could focus on tending their garden without worrying too much about money.
Alexa’s story as a vegetable pickier in Australia wasn’t just about hard labor under the sun. It was about resilience, sacrifice, and a mother’s love. Every vegetable she harvested carried a piece of her dream a dream of giving her children a better life that she ever had. And though she returned home with calloused hands, she also brought back the sweetest harvest of all hope for a brighter future.
