Asylum seekers in Australia are not allowed to work, so feeling isolated and lacking purpose is common.
But a community kitchen in Sydney’s north west is fast becoming a place for many to socialise, share experiences and cultures.
Mohammad Junite said keeping busy was his secret to surviving life as an asylum seeker in Australia.
The 19-year-old Burmese national, who dreams of becoming an electrician, arrived by boat seven months ago.
Mohammad now takes computer classes, English lessons, driving lessons, plays football, wants to volunteer and is improving his cooking skills.
"Yeah, I like to come here," he said of the community kitchen.
"I like to do everything."
The kitchen teaches asylum seekers to cook cheap, healthy meals that are suitable for their $220-per-week government allowance.
There are rougly 26,000 asylum seekers on community release in Australia, far more than in detention.
David Keagan, who runs the Community Kitchen, said his volunteers get first-hand knowledge of an issue that often divides Australians.
"Australians should take the opportunity to find out more about asylum seekers because what you hear in the public is not always representative of what life is really like for them," he said.
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