Stories
In 2017, the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga worked with Frank & Earnest, Jack of Hearts Studio and Next In Line Films to capture the stories of families who have settled in our region.
Here are their stories:
"The Multicultural Council community is good. It’s where you can learn more about Australia. We are the immigrants who have just arrived in Australia, so it’s very hard to know where we can go to buy food, where to go for the petrol station, or where the playground is. They help us.
Multicultural Council is the place which unites people. They are welcoming immigrants. It is a fantastic way of receiving us into Wagga the first time.
It is different here. We are all joining together whether black or white. We are all buying the food the same. There is no work like digging or looking for some other way of surviving, so things are all equal.
The population in Wagga is not too great like other big cities, so we found to become friends with other people to be very easy. We can even walk in the evenings and in the mornings and meet other new friends. That’s why we love Lake Albert.
The Multicultural Council does very excellent work. Let God bless their services so that they can continue their work with new immigrants. They are lovely people who have done a lot of work for us. They show their spirit of love to us."
Samson Abbas
Originally from South Sudan
Arrived in Wagga Wagga in September 2009
"I left Sudan a long time ago. When I left the country it was because of the war – we were in the war zone. When we reached here, there’s no war. You forget that in some countries people are dying and in some countries people are enjoying themselves. I think that is the biggest difference!
Coming to a new place, we didn’t know anything really. We needed someone to tell us what to do and where to go.
Multicultural Council made us feel comfortable. When you arrive, they are the first people to come to you. Every day they were here with us.
They helped us to get our food because when we arrived, we didn’t know how to use bank card and sometimes we didn’t know whether there was money. They were very good to take us and show us how to use our money.
Multicultural Council is the best office in Wagga, helping refugees. They are the people who are with you every day. They are the people who make you feel comfortable and belonging.
I have been here now 11 years but still I come to Multicultural Council for help and they still help me. It is like a family."
Constance Okot
Originally from Sudan
Arrived in Wagga Wagga in January 2005
"The Multicultural Council community is very happy. We are very warm together and share everything.
When we first arrived, the Multicultural Council came to the airport and welcomed us. Every single day they have helped us. If we have a problem, maybe emotional, or family, or language, we ring them or we come here and we talk to them.
Here, if you are not qualified, the Multicultural Council can help arrange TAFE to get a certificate and they can help look for a job. Here we are confident for our family and what we need to do for our future. I love that we are very safe and what you want to do you can do.
If we don’t understand something we can ask the Multicultural Council. They are very helpful. Every single person is like a family to us. They care for us very warmly and it means we are very, very happy.
I’m love to live here. I love Multicultural Council most of all."
Htu San La Bang
Originally from Myanmar
Arrived in Wagga Wagga in December 2010
"I came to Australia because of my children. Before we came here, as a refugee in Iran, it was really hard for us and it was hard for our children to go to school. They would not accept them because we are Afghani and at one time we were not allowed to send the children to school.
There they were not allowed to go to university, or they were not allowed to study what they want. I hoped that by coming here, we would have good education for my children. Already I am really glad.
When we first arrived, the Multicultural Council were really welcoming. My children were tired because it’s a long way and I was very worried about how we could find our house, how we can find shopping and everything.
I didn’t understand that the Multicultural Council had found a house for us already. They took us there and said, “This is your house, and everything is for you”.
We didn’t really have any idea of what Wagga Wagga would be like, but the Multicultural Council helps us with everything: language, finding where to go, finding doctors. Any issues I have, I come straight here. They just say, “It’s okay, I will help you.”
Multicultural Council is like my family; my best friend."
Hakimeh Rahimi
Originally from Afghanistan
Arrived in Wagga Wagga in May 2014
"Australia is different. Here I have a good life. In Africa it was terrible. I was living in the camp, so it was harder to get something to give the children.
I can provide for my family here. My children go to childcare so I can go to school and learn English (at TAFE).
The Multicultural Council has helped me. My caseworker has showed me everything here because I could not speak English.
Multicultural Council is a loving community. Multicultural Council is helping my family."
Riduine Niyibizi
Originally from Burundi
Arrived in Wagga Wagga in 2009
