Finding employment can be a stressful process - especially if you don't know the country, the language or business regulations. It's an experience refugees go through every day.
Despite an eagerness to work and the wealth of skills many bring, refugees are continually over represented among the ranks Australia's unemployed.
But non-for-profit group, Rosemount Good Shepherd, is trying to change that by helping entrepreneurs break out of the welfare cycle
The Community Commerce program helps refugees and migrants get small businesses off the ground by providing small, interest-free loans.
Michael Katz, who created the program, says the program is takes a different approach to refugees.
"We don't see this as a group of people who need our help, we see this as a group of people we can create value with," Mr Katz said.
He also helps his clients set up business plans, and engage industry experts and even local business students.
Javed Khan fled Pakistan two years ago. He says students at the University of Sydney are helping him build a website and create marketing strategies for his clothing business.
"When I started this business I meet the uni students, good ideas, new ideas, and new people. I think my brain was more broad, more wide when I meet these people. It's good," Mr Khan said.
The program has been running for a year in conjunction with refugee settlement agency, Settlement Services International.
CEO Violet Roumeliotus says a report by Graeme Hugo into the economic contribution of refugees settling in Australia shows refugees are more entrepreneurial than other migrants and non migrants in Australia.
"One thing we did find, was that the great majority of people who came were really passionate about finding work, and a number of them coming from countries where there's no welfare state, they had to be enterprising, and they were entrepreneurials," Ms Roumeliotus said.
She says Refugee Week is a chance for people rethink the way they view people on humanitarian visas.
"I guess the message from SSI and other settlement agencies is to all Australians is look at both sides of the ledger. That small investment at the beginning, pays off in the long term, the dividend is extraordinary for Australians," she said.
Ms Roumeliotus says many refugees have a strong sense of duty to give back to society. She says it's a feeling that runs deep for them because they know what life is like for the less fortunate.
Iranian refugee and leather artisan, Sima Mahboobifard, says she wants to show others that anyone can make something out of nothing.
"My father was killed when I was one year old," she said.
"Because of that, throughout my childhood I didn't have much. Since then I knew that one day I would help other people who were in similar situations, kids, the elderly, anyone who needs help as I did."
