Strong support for our refugees

SOUTH Gippsland Rural Australian for Refugee (SGRAR) members gathered recently in support of a refugee at Wonthaggi Mitchell House, before attending the Wonthaggi Union Arts Centre to view the film, Flee. 
SGRAR were supporting Zaid, an Afghan refugee whose family remain living in the dire conditions of Afghanistan.

SGRAR have proposed for his family to come to Australia on a humanitarian visa, and a fundraising event was held in the foyer of the Wonthaggi theatre prior to the screening to support this action. 
Felicia Di Stefano has been coordinating SGRAR since February 2003 to help those in need, including tutoring English and fundraising for financial support. 

Zaid came to Australia as a refugee in 2013 to escape the distressing actions of the Taliban, stating that he was in danger in his own country because he wanted to help educate women and children; a basic human right that is forbidden within his country.

“It was safer for me to risk the dangerous seas than to remain in Afghanistan, I had to leave my entire family behind in order to be safe,” said Zaid.

Zaid arrived on Christmas Island in 2013 and remained there for three months before travelling to Melbourne on a temporary protection visa, of which he was entitled to live under for three years. 
“During my first three years in Australia, I was under strict living conditions, unable to undergo any work or study until I was granted a protection visa in my fourth year,” he said. 

According to Zaid, during those first years in Australia, despite being unable to work or complete tertiary study, he was safe, learnt English and kept to himself. 

“I am now living under a protection visa of which allows me to study and upskill in my industry, a visa of which I need to re-apply for after five years,” he added. 

Zaid is thankful for the community in Australia, the connections he has formed to restart his life and the assistance he is receiving from the volunteers at SGRAR to bring his family to Australia. 
If you would like to join SGRAR or donate to the Afghan family, please contact Felicia at sgrar07@gmail.com