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DiversityWISE | The Film | The Participants | The Program |
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| The stars of the film are Emadeldin, Pascal and Savera – all participants of the DiversityWISE Program. Emadeldin Hassan Emadeldin was born in Sudan and arrived in Australia in 2002 as a refugee with the support of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. “I spent three and a half years as a refugee in Egypt after fleeing civil war in my country Sudan,” explains Emadeldin. “Living as a refugee in Egypt was challenging; refugees don’t get any support from the government in Egypt so I had to fend for myself.” Emadeldin first settled in Queensland and later moved to Victoria in 2004 to pursue his Diploma in Laboratory Technology. “I worked part time as a security guard to support myself and to support my family back home in Africa,” he says. “I completed my Diploma in 2009 and moved to Darwin in 2010 in search of employment.” Emadeldin believes that programs like DiversityWISE are important as they create awareness among employers about refugees and the contributions they can make to the economy through our labour. “When employers have a better understanding of who we are, they might be a bit more receptive to employing refugees. We may not have two years experience working in Australia but we are eager to learn and be reliable workers.” |
 Emadeldin believes that programs like DiversityWISE are important |
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| Pascal Kabwit Pascal enjoys gardening and listening to music.” I enjoy gardening because I like doing practical stuff. I just enjoy working with my hands,” he says. Pascal has been living in Darwin since 2007, when he and his family resettled in Australia after fleeing to Zambia in 1993 when civil war broke out in his country, Congo. “I lived in Zambia as a refugee for 14 years and during that time I was fortunate to be allowed to live in the community and managed to work as an electrician for 14 years.” Pascal had four children at the time and says that “it was a relief to know that we were going to be able to raise our children without fear of us or them being killed in a war.” Pascal had high expectations of his resettlement in Australia and securing employment. “My expectation about getting a job and starting a new life were high but soon reality sunk in. I had to learn English as I didn’t speak much of it and I then took up any kinds of jobs I could do to support my family. I did some gardening just to meet my budget. I worked as a disability support worker for more than twelve months.” In April 2010, Pascal gained employment as a Trade Assistant. “I really enjoy putting on my uniform and going to work every morning,” he says. “I actually find it hard to take off my uniform when I get home from work and I only take it off when am going to bed. Pascal says that his job has really changed his life and that of his family. “I love earning an income and supporting my family; I have five children and I would like them to have a good education.” |
 “I love earning an income and supporting my family" |
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| Savera Harerimana Savera came to Australia in 2007 after fleeing war her home country, Burundi in East-Central Africa. “I lost my husband during the war there,” she says. “Like any other person, I loved my country, but it was hard to live there when I was not sure if I would live to see my children grow.” Savera lived in a refugee camp in Tanzania for 11 years before she came to Australia. “It was hard living in a refugee camp but I was not able to return to my country as I feared being killed by the same regime that had killed my husband.” Resettlement has been a challenge for Savera. “I spent my first three years learning English at the Adult Migrant English Program at Charles Darwin University,” she says. Savera’s first major challenge was gaining her drivers’ license. “It was challenging for me to learn how to drive considering that I had never driven a car before in my life,” she says. “I undertook driving lessons when I couldn’t understand much English but I had to do it to make myself employable.” Last year, Savera enrolled in a Certificate III in Aged Care with Steps Training, a non-profit training organisation with assistance from WISEEmploemnt. “At first I didn’t think that I was actually going to manage, considering that I had very low language and literacy skills,” she says. “I could hardly read and write when I arrived in Australia in 2007.” Savera graduated in December 2010. “I’ve always been a carer by nature, she says. “We didn’t have aged care facilities or disability support centres in my home country so I am glad that I can help people who need assistance with their day to day functioning and find the job very rewarding.” |
 "I have always been a carer by nature" |
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