Awatif Shomoo is a dedicated cleaner at Excelsior Public School in Castle Hill, located in Sydney’s North-West.

She takes immense pride in her role and her commitment ensures a clean and welcoming environment for all who enter the school premises. 

Awatif came to Australia in 2005, leaving her country of birth in search of better opportunities and a safe and happy life for herself and her family. She says that to call cleaning a habit for her wouldn’t express quite how much she gets out of it. 

“At home I will say to my children that I am going to sit and relax and have a cup of tea or coffee and just do nothing for a while,” Awatif says. 

“They laugh and say no mum, in a few minutes you’ll be up and doing something, you can’t sit still.” 

Awatif is proud that the work she does to maintain a clean and orderly environment in the school contributes positively to the lives of all the children who will pass through its gates over the years. 

“I like to think of those children in their futures, whatever they may be doing, and knowing that my work may have made their schooling easier. Maybe they’ll remember me and smile.”

“I am so happy to be here in Australia,” she says. 

Did you know that Ventia has a workforce of nearly 3,000 skilled cleaners? 

Hailing from diverse backgrounds, our cleaners dedicate themselves to providing specialised cleaning services to government and commercial businesses right across Australia and New Zealand. Whether they’re cleaning at a school in the western suburbs of Sydney, or a mine site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, or a historic building in downtown Auckland, our cleaners are focused on delivering service excellence in the work that they do. Often working diligently outside regular office hours and away from the limelight, their efforts ensure safety, hygiene, and create comfortable spaces that make our offices and workplaces truly inviting.