While their stories often share themes of heartache, despair and the struggle to survive, members of Wyndham’s refugee community joined together last week to celebrate the past and the future.
As part of Refugee Week and with the theme of “restoring hope”, a musical event was held at the Werribee Baptist Church.
Police multicultural liaison officer Leading Senior Constable Richard Dove hosted the event.
The gathering was wowed by musical performances by students from local primary and secondary schools, as well as a wide variety of cultural bands.
Richard Deng, who came to Australia from Sudan three years ago, said he enjoyed being able to celebrate what made him unique.
“I’m a Christian and in Sudan you face a lot of discrimination if you’re a Christian,” he said.
“Life was a constant struggle. If you’re not in the top two per cent of wealth then you have very few options.
“Life is very different for me and my family now and it’s such a relief to be able to live any life I want. I still love Sudan, but now I just have a new home.”
Mr Deng said that being a refugee meant he had a connection with a large number of Wyndham residents with similar backgrounds.
“To me, if you’re a refugee that means you’re strong; you’ve had to fight for what you have,” he said. “Australia has been kind to us, especially Wyndham, and now we want to give back. This is our home, too.”
The Restoring Hope event was hosted by the Wyndham Community and Education Centre, Wyndham council and Victoria Police.
