First Day: Villawood migration hostel closed a week before Lidija arrived

"How clean, how big, how wide everything was. The sky was so blue; I had never seen anything like that."

Lidija Berberu Makedonski migrant. Na Berberu i bese receno deka taa so semejstvoto ke se smesti vo Centarot za doselenici vo Vilavud koga ke pristigne vo Avstralija. No, edna sedmica pred da ja napusti Makedonija tie bea informirani deka centarot e zatvoren. Baraa nova strategija za smestuvanje. Source: Ashley Mar

"The sky was so blue; I had never seen anything like that."Image

Berberu was told she would go to Villawood migrant and resource centre when she and her family arrived to Australia.

But one week before leaving Macedonia they were informed the centre had closed.

So they had to organise accommodation very quickly and find their own settlement strategy.

Lidija Berberu and partner Source: Provided by Lidija Berberu

#FirstDaySBS

Lidija Berberu in Sydney Source: Provided by Lidija Berberu

"One thing that I love from this country is that from day one I was given the opportunity to show my abilities and my skills and achieve something."

Lidija Berberu at SBS Radio Source: Ashley Mar