A picnic tailored for recently arrived refugees
A picnic tailored for recently arrived refugees
In 2014, Founder of You Belong charity organisation Tim Buxton moved to Iraq with his wife and children to work with refugees and the internally displaced. For almost four years, they provided housing, education, medical care, trauma, counselling, and relief to thousands of Iraq and Syrian refugees fleeing ISIS. After returning to Australia, Tim saw the many struggles’ refugees had integrating into our society and their new community – therefore, You Belong was born.
“We have so much to learn from those who come here and make Australia their home and the more we get to know them and learn about where they are from and what positive contributions they are making to our communities the better for the whole community,” Mr. Buxton said.
You Belong Australia is launching an inaugural Bike to Belong event this World Refugee Week.
Partnering up with You Belong are local Olympians Jordan and Alyce Wood, who are heading to the Tokyo Olympics in July to compete as Kayakers.
“Though not participating in Bike to Belong as riders, they have signed up to prepare and coach two newly settled Yazidi refugees, Banyas and Hakar Abood, sister and brother.”
Mr Buxton said, neither Banyas nor Hakar have ever ridden bikes before, but with the help of Jordan and Alyce Wood, they will take on their 80km challenge on exercise bikes.
You Belong welcomes and empowers those refugees who come to find home in our communities by facilitating programs, ongoing events and workshops to help them integrate and thrive here in Australia.
“We believe that every refugee should be celebrated and is worthy of extravagant Australian hospitality,” Mr Buxton told SBS Kurdish.
