As a young Yezidi boy living in Iraq Khato Izaldeen didn't get to experience a happy and fulfilling life.
Like most young children, he had hopes and dreams on what he wanted to be when he was older. But day-by-day those dreams kept dwindling away with no end in sight to the suffering and pain.
The so called Islamic State invaded and attacked parts of Iraq 2014. Khato and his family are from the village of Khatar, a village near Mosul. As a result of the attack they fled to Turkey and lived in a refugee camp for a couple years.
The twenty one year old and his mother, father and nine siblings arrived in Australia in February 2017 and have settled in Wagga Wagga. Mr Izaldeen has moved to Sydney lately to purseu his dreams of becoming a model or performer.
“I am actually very happy and excited to live in Wagga Wagga and in Australia. Thank you so much for Australian government for bringing us here,” Mr Izaldeen said.
He said their new country has given him the platform to make changes in his life.
“I just want to change my life, I want to be a star. When I was young I was never happy in Iraq, when I was in Iraq it was a bad life when we lived there.”
“When we moved to Australia, I said maybe I should be a star and change my life to forget everything about the past.
“I want to be a singer, actor and model. They are the three things I love so much.”
Khato Izaldeen and his family are part of the Australian Government‘s announcement in 2015 that it would make an extra 12,000 humanitarian places available in response to the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. As of 21 March 2017, visas have been granted towards all 12,000 additional places.
