Stories
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.
Patient, 30, has ‘always loved technical jobs’. When he was in high school he dreamed of working in a mechanical field, even becoming a mechanical engineer. But his dreams were put on hold when he and his family were forced to flee their home in the Congo (DRC) and live as refugees for six years in the neighbouring Congo Brazzaville.
Lidia arrived in Australia in 1997 as a 16-year-old refugee from East Timor. After completing English language school and Year 12, and with help from the Brotherhood, she found work in the hospitality industry. But following the economic downturn she needed our help again.
What does the term ‘no worries’ mean to you? For most Australians it means ‘no stress’ or ‘it’s all good’. For a group of young refugees from diverse cultural backgrounds, however, it means ‘leaving your worries behind you’, and was the name they chose for their festival aimed at engaging young people.
David left Sudan as a child refugee and after many years living precariously in other African countries as a refugee he arrived in Australia on his own. In his new country he began volunteer work to help refugee children who had histories very much like his own.
After arriving in Australia in 2006, Rebecca had difficulty finding childcare work. Despite already having the right experience and skills, she found that cultural differences meant new workplaces weren’t easy to understand.