JANET HO

Soon after returning to Australia, I attended a conference on refugee issues at the University of New South Wales. This was around the time of the Tampa, and I was concerned about the treatment of refugees in Australia. I think I applied to MRS out of some sort of desperation, and a need to do something, albeit very small.

The family I have supported are from the Dinka community group in Southern Sudan. Before coming here they had lived in Cairo, after fleeing there via Khartoum. Many of their friends and family were killed, raped, enslaved, or had fled into the bush.

The family have found settling in Australia very difficult. In addition to the obvious challenges of living in a new culture, the young mother of the family has had severe psychiatric problems, needing hospitalisation for several weeks. During her hospitalisation the children were cared for by a wonderful lady, herself a refugee from Southern Sudan. It was a special moment for me when the young mother recently came home from hospital smiling and well. Before her treatment she had been almost catatonic. Her husband and their friends had made the house welcoming with red embroidered antimacassars on all the armchairs. It was wonderful to see the young mother smile, and hear her speak, after months of unresponsiveness.

I find my work as a volunteer difficult and frustrating, because I know it can never be enough. I am hopeful, though, that I can be of some use. Our progress is slow - work is hard to find for new arrivals with few skills. We also have the occasional success - after months of driving practice, the father of the family recently passed his driving test! After almost a year, I think the family is ready for me to withdraw as a volunteer - the young mother is now attending a Sudanese Women's English class and the father is confident to use various services in the community. They have also established a good network of friends, who have been there to support them through difficult times.

The experience of being a volunteer has been eye-opening, as I have met people who have suffered so much. I have learnt that human beings can be brave and strong and resilient, to a degree that most of us in Australia can barely imagine. I have also learnt that people will miss their homelands, even when they have had to flee and terrible things have happened to them there. Finally, I have learnt that people with almost no material wealth are quite often infinitely richer in their personal relationships, a reversal of what often applies in Australia.

Back to Volunteer Profiles