Currently there are 65 million people displaced globally within their own countries or either fled as refugees to other countries since world war II.
But within the last seventy years, Australia has accepted nearly one million refugees (880,000) and will also take in another 18,000 this coming year.
There are many reasons why people flee their own countries. It is due to political rivalry, religions, wars and conflicts or economy. But refugee people are willing to risk everything even their life so that their family and loved ones can be safe leaving everything behind.
There are some refugees like Mahir Momand who have already settled in Canada but his heart is yearning to return back to his country-Afghanistan to help his people substitute other economy crop like Saffron instead of opium which benefits Taliban.
This work is directly interfere with Taliban's source of revenue and so his colleague and he himself are entangle in big trouble and concerning for their safety. Eventually there is no choice but to leave again, but this time to Australia as a refugee.
Mahir Momand has extensive knowledge in Micro-financing which he then set up Thrive Refugee Enterprise to help refugees set up small business and teach them how to run their own business.
Momand said that refugees who access services from his organisation said that it is not their culture to do nothing but just got to CentreLink and ask for welfare benefits as they never have this type of assistance back in their countries of origin. They rather find job, set up their own businesses and thrive so they can lead a better life in Australia.
Paul Power, the chief executive of Refugee Action Council said that his organisation would like to present this Refugee Week to get people's attention about the need of refugees and to recognise their contribution to Australian economy.
Mr. Power said that the data from the Australian Bureau of Statistic has indicated refugees are likely to start their own small business more than migrants or Australian-born and that refugees will be great assets toward Australian economy for decades to come as they are still young and under 25 years of age. Sir Frank Lowly is one example of refugees who set up Westfield, to name a few.
Gail Kerr is the CEO of Access Community Services in Queensland which help refugees to settle and get back on their feet in Australia through different services.
Her organisation has help refugees through working with refugees to come up with business model, teaching them how to run food business, health and safety related to food business and then helping to find a career or employment in food industries.
Harmony of Carmody Cafe is a business enterprise set up by Access Community Services to provide real working skills in Cafe, how to make coffes, how to handle customer services, learning a language, providing opportunities for people to have a real conversation with people, to get to know more people and eventually finding a real profession to work with.
Pemba Tshulembo and her other three siblings has to leave Congo due to her father political rivalry which end his father's life.
She said that even during her father's funeral, there is still fighting. She and her siblings are scare to play outside fearing someone will kidnap them or do them harm or something bad might have happen to them.
Finally fear has taken over and safety for her family is the priority, therefore fleeing as refugees to Kenya is her only choice.
She said that having worked with Harmony of Carmody Cafe has gave her confidence, providing opportunities to talk to people, know more people and at the same time enable her to save some money for university.
When she first came to Australia, residing in Longan, Brisbane, she is already 19 years old, but without any English skills whatsoever, she went straight in to study year 11. But my determination and steadfast she graduated high school with distinction. Now she is training to be a model.
"Refugee week is very important because it gives them an opportunity to feel loved, to be given the support. Most of them have been traumatised throughout their entire lives. And they're going through hell and all they need maybe is just someone to tell them something good," said Pemba Tschulembo.#
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