Sarah
For someone who has experienced refugee camps, broken schooling, the loss of a parent and relocating to a new country, 25-year-old Sarah is an inspiringly optimistic young woman dedicated to pursuing a career in the community sector.
Sarah was 17 when she immigrated to Adelaide with her mother and three siblings on humanitarian visas. The family were forced to flee their home in Southern Sudan during the civil war and spent time in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya before relocating to Australia. During the war Sarah’s father went missing, and it was six years before she learned he was alive.
Most of Sarah’s school years were spent in the camps. While she learnt some English during that time, when she commenced Year 11 in Australia, she found it very challenging. ‘It was really hard because I didn’t know a lot of things and it was a new place, everything was new, so it was hard to settle in. With my school work and the school I was going to, it was very hard.’
Following high school Sarah moved to Melbourne to study children’s services at university. Having no savings and relying on government assistance limited Sarah’s housing options. She applied for public housing and, after a seven-month wait, moved into the flat she’s lived in for the past five years.
Sarah successfully completed her studies and started part-time employment as a home carer. However, to achieve her goal of working in community services, she needed further qualifications. She could not afford to go back to university or TAFE, so when she saw a flyer advertising positions to gain Certificate III in Community Services with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, she jumped at the chance. ‘It was the only opportunity I could get to do it.’
In 2010, after completing a year of training with the Brotherhood, Sarah became a qualified Community Contact Officer (CCO), a role that involves providing a concierge, information and recycling service at the public housing estates in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond. She currently works four days a week as a CCO and says it has helped improve her writing, English and computer skills, as well as opened doors to future employment prospects.