Staff and residents at Hadleigh Nursing Home, in Friars Road, Hadleigh, have paid an International Women's Day tribute to one of their colleagues who has inspired them during the pandemic.

Iasatou Gai-Boye, known as Isa, has brought her passion and work ethic from her African roots to the care home, which has been appreciated by all.

Home manager Jan Seal described the senior support worker as a "fantastic asset to the home, always willing to come in and work a shift at short notice or stay the night when there is a problem with staffing".

With typical modesty, Iasatou paid credit to her grandmother, also called Iasatou.

"She attributes her work ethic to her grandmother and growing up in The Gambia and instils the same values in her own family today," said Jan.

Isa told staff and residents that her grandmother had been her inspiration back in her village in The Gambia and she was very proud to be named after her.

She was a very hard working lady, working on the farm where she lived, selling goods at the market, gathering wood, collecting water from a long distance away and washing the family's clothes in the local river.

Isa, who came to England in 2005 with her husband who is in the Army, invited staff and residents to try on some of her traditional clothes.

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