By Stefica Nicol Bikes
SYDNEY – At an indoor pool in a western Sydney suburb, about 20 Afghan girls who lately reached Australia as refugees take heed to former asylum seeker Maryam Zahid as she provides them swimming lessons and talks concerning the nation’s seaside tradition.
Zahid, who arrived in Australia from Afghanistan 22 years in the past, stated her classes assist the ladies develop “an identification for themselves” and take care of the trauma of the conflict that ravaged their dwelling nation.
“That's one thing that may affect psychological and emotional elements of their life … to have an identification for themselves as a human being first,” Zahid advised Reuters on the Ruth Everuss aquatic centre within the suburb of Auburn.
“We're creating for them, recollections. Recollections of freedom, happiness, alternatives.”
A 12 months after the United States-led alliance’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan, tens of hundreds of Afghans have been resettled in america and Europe. Australia initially allotted 3,000 humanitarian visas for Afghans after August, 2001, and earlier this 12 months stated it might enable 15,000 extra refugees over the following 4 years.
Zahid’s ‘Afghan Ladies on the Transfer’ programme additionally helps refugees – a lot of who fled after the hardline Islamist Taliban motion swept again to energy – study driving and discover jobs.
She believes the ladies might not return to Afghanistan, the place the federal government has severely curtailed the rights of girls and ladies. As an example, ladies are banned from going to highschool.
A few of the girls on the centre selected to not communicate in entrance of the digicam, out of concern for the security of household again dwelling.
Twenty-three-year-old Sahar Azizi, in the meantime, is taking her second driving lesson as she fastidiously navigates Sydney’s busy suburban streets.
“I made a decision to start out my research and driving … as a substitute of sitting at dwelling on a regular basis and fascinated with the dangerous scenario in Afghanistan,” stated Azizi, who arrived in Australia one 12 months in the past together with her husband and prematurely-born child boy.
“It was very anxious. So I made a decision to maneuver on … do one thing for me and obtain my goals and objectives.”
Post a Comment