Ms Rajic 10E6

At the start of the year 2000, one in every four people living in Australia was born overseas. There are many reasons why people decide to move, or seek refuge to Australia. Sometimes there is more than one reason. Some people come for just a short time. Others may stay longer. Some even decide to become Australian citizens. Everyone’s story is different, but everyone had to:  Decide to leave their home  Travel to Australia  Arrive in a new place  Settle and belong.

Many people searching for freedom have come to Australia as refugees. Many risk their lives to flee and most have to leave behind loved ones and possessions. Here are some true stories of children who have found freedom in Australia. My name is Kwiciwow (say: qui-she- wow). I came from Sudan My name is Neelab. I came from Afghanistan Sudan Afghanistan

Fact File: Sudan Capital city: Khartoum Population: Flag Languages: Official language is Arabic, many other languages and dialects are also spoken such as Shilluk. Health: Average person living in Sudan can expect to see their 56 th Birthday. Wealth: Roughly one TV for every 15 people Education: 5 out of 10 people over 15 can read and write. Work: 80% of people in Sudan work on farms Religion: 70% Sunni Muslim 5% Christian

 My family came from southern Sudan. There was a war going on between different groups of Sudanese people. It was not safe for us to stay in our home. We moved to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, in the north of the country. My family thought it would be safe there, but we were wrong.

Flag Capital city: Kabul Population: Fact File: Afghanistan Languages: Dari and Pashtu are the main languages spoken in Afghanistan Education: 3 out of 10 people over 15 can read and write. Health: The average life expectancy is 46 years. Work: 70% of people work on farms in Afghanistan Wealth: There is roughly one TV for every 286 people. Religion: 84% Sunni Muslim 15% Shi’s Muslim 1% Other

 My family is from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. I was nine when I left Afghanistan. My strongest memories of my country are mostly bad memories – the war and being threatened by the government. We were frightened and left for Pakistan, where we asked for refugee status.

Safety What does safety mean? What is respectful interaction? Rules of safety don’t change What does safety look like at school/ playground/ classroom and at home? How do we know someone wants us to feel safe? Did you feel safe in your home country? What are help seeking behaviours?

Trust What does trust mean to you? Trusting authority figures! Who are authority figures in school? How to co-operate and work in groups? Who is trustworthy at school? How do you rebuild a sense of trust? Open and welcoming body language? Listen! “I care…”

Attachment When you trust you connect? What does trust mean to you? Provide support! How do we feel accepted and valued? Creating a sense of belonging? Attachments to interests from back home – dance, music?

Responsibility How to regain control of your life? Suffer a loss of responsibility? Student responsibility – right place, right time? Good decision making and self help behaviours – gain attention and ask for help? How to become responsible?

Skills How can I build your skills in the classroom? What are you skilled in? – sport, dancing? What skills do you want to learn in English? How much schooling have you missed? Courtesies in Australian culture – knock on door, please, thankyou?