Last Wednesday, Year 10 students were privileged to hear firsthand the stories of two female refugees, Anna Dimo and Shokufa Tahiri. Both of these women were forced to leave their homes and countries to seek asylum, in the hope of finding safety, freedom and opportunity. After being forced to flee the civil unrest in Sudan, Anna initially sought refuge in Egypt where she was eventually granted refugee status and permission to settle in Australia. On the other hand, as a young child, Shokufa fled Afghanistan with her mother and siblings as a result of being persecuted by the Taliban for her father’s political views, and the fact that her family belonged to the Hazara ethnic group.
Both women shared their inspiring stories of courage and resilience, as they embarked on lengthy and at times, terrifying journeys to Australia. Each has thrived and excelled in an unfamiliar land, depicting their gratitude at having been given access to the many resources and opportunities available to Australians, by working to better the plight of their people and actively seeking ways to make a difference in our world.
Anna was appointed Pastoral Care Worker for the Sudanese Australian Catholic Community in 2009 by Archbishop Pell. She has been the Chairperson of the Aweil Community in Australia and Leader of the Sudanese Women’s Group in Australia. Shokufa is currently in her 3rd year of studying Law and Economics in Sydney. To advocate for the Hazara and refugee community, Shokufa volunteers with the organisations Hazara Youth Perspective, the Hazara Kateb Association, the Refugee Art Project, Anglicare Legal and the Refugee Council of Australia.
By listening to these women, we were able to deepen our understanding of the immense struggles faced by those seeking asylum, not only in their journey to Australia but in the challenges they faced in the process of gaining refugee status and in their attempts settle into their new life in Australia. Their stories expressed in such detail, the emotional attribute to their journey, challenging the stigma and stereotypes regarding ‘boat people’, specifically that refugees solely seek a means of financial gain. These women discredited that notion through the touching recounts of their personal experiences.
Regardless of their origins or their backgrounds, through their everyday lives, these women uphold and demonstrate all of the values that we hold true as members of the Dominican Community and, indeed, as fellow Australians: respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, compassion for those in need and pursuit of the public good. Special thanks must go to our Religious Education Coordinator, Ms Helen Smith as well as our HSIE and PDHPE teachers for providing us with this experience.
Julia (Year 10)
