Babel Youkhana escaped her war-torn hometown of Al- Hasakah in Syria with her mother and brother in fear of terrorist group IS.
The 24-year-old student, who one day hopes to get into the beauty industry, fled to Lebanon before settling in Australia eight months ago.
Ms Youkhana didn’t drive in her home country, her first experience behind the wheel was here in Australia.
“When I drive for the first time I thought I have to go to the right side, because in Syria we have to drive in the right side,” she says.
The Syrian native now lives in Fairfield in Western Sydney, and is learning about Australian roads through the DriveTime program.
“I feel comfortable and I feel good when I drive ... the road rules are very comfortable and it’s to protect ourselves,” she told SBS World News.
Babel Youkhana is learning to drive and loving it. Source: SBS World News
Driving their way to independence
DriveTime is funded by the NRMA, the program provides participants with driving lessons, cars, instructors, driving tests and education support.
NRMA covers all the costs, allowing participants to focus solely on resettling in Australia.
“If you’re coming to Australia, moving can be a great challenge. Trying to do it without a licence can be that much harder,” Peter Colacino, NRMA spokesperson says.
The program ran a six month trial in Fairfield and Wollongong - two areas with a high population of refugee settlers.
“I think having a licence and having access to a car, helps people have access to a job and access to an education. And from there you’re able to build independence and with independence comes the ability to be able to participate in the community,” Mr Colacino said.
The program had a great success in the pilot phase with 26 Fairfield participants graduating by passing their final assessments.
One of the graduates was Payam Gouya, who desperately needed to get his licence for medical reasons.
After a number of failed attempts to get his driver's licence, Payam Gouya turned to the DriveTime program for help. Source: SBS World News
Attention to detail
Mr Gouya has been living in Australia for the last year-and-a-half with his wife and son. The Iranian refugee previously lived in Malaysia for nine years.
“I have a driving licence in Iran, I have driving licence in Malaysia. When I arrived in this country without car it's a very big problem for me,” Mr Gouya told SBS World News.
The former filmmaker says he tried to get his Australian licence three times but failed every time.
“Two or three days after I arrived in this country, I research about how can I take the licence driving in Australia,” he says.
After his failed attempts, Mr Gouya turned to the DriveTime program for help. He met with a driving instructor who taught him about the finer details he was failing to pass in his tests.
“I don’t have problem with the driving, I have the problem with the details in this country,” he says.
Mr Gouya says once he got his driver’s licence his life became more “simple”.
“After that [the test] everything settle for me, I can drive to the doctor, I can drive to the grocery, I can drive for my son's school.”
NRMA hopes the extended two years of DriveTime will help reach more than 400 refugees.
NRMA covers all the costs for refugees taking their Drive Time program. Source: SBS World News
For more information please check out the NRMA website.
