Yuna from Japan shares her experiences in Cairns

Meet Yuna from Japan, one of our international students. We are showcasing our international students to support them as they continue to live and study in our gorgeous city under extremely difficult circumstances.

Study Cairns created a #CairnsCares initiative through its Student Hub to support international students during Covid-19. Having lived in Cairns for over four years, Yulina had never experienced any financial obstacles until early March this year. Yuna studies at ICQ and works as a masseuse at Oiled. You can drop by and say hi.

Like many other international students, Yuna sadly lost her job during the heart of the Covid Crisis. She first heard about the #CairnsCares initiative from her good friend and housemate. The Food Bank at the Cairns Student Hub was a great help for Yuna during lockdown. As restrictions eased in Cairns, Yuna was able to return to work but her visa only allows her to work up to 20 hours a week. This is one of the challenges for international students.

Yuna was planning on returning to Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but since they were cancelled she hasn’t been back home in over two years. She is looking forward to visiting her hometown, friends, and family sometime soon.