“I did not know this much joy would be unlocked,” beamed Maggie Patterson, a group coordinator and Goulburn local involved in the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP).
This joy came from forming a group of friends and neighbours to welcome and support refugee newcomers. The group were matched with a Syrian refugee household, the Alkhusi family, who were among the first refugees to arrive in Australia through the CRISP. They came with few possessions, no English, and a lot of hope. Mazin Alkhusi, husband to Rouba and father of George and Elyas, had a simple ask: “We just need a place to have a safe life, because we went through a very difficult life in the past.”
For Maggie, the legacy of Mazin’s previous life was all too evident. Once a successful businessman, he had later become a target for ISIS. “Mazin has been through so much. I can’t believe he survived what he’s been through, at the hands of ISIS,” she said. Mazin was kidnapped twice – held and tortured – the first time for 10 days and the second for 10 months, after which he fled to Iraq.
Maggie, who has a background in nursing, said she and her group saw themselves as “providing a soft landing” for the family. She had a small, one-bedroom house which the Alkhusi’s stayed in temporarily until they found a more permanent living arrangement.
When word began to get around town about the support group’s involvement in the CRISP, a bunch of Goulburn locals started reaching out, asking what they could do to help. “There were other people in the community coming out of the woodwork in a whole community effort,” said Maggie. Local schools donated tuition, uniforms and even brought in extra resources to support George and Elyas. The local Men’s Shed provided bicycles. Churches in the area offered support of conversational language practice. Rotary members volunteered to give driving lessons, while one community member even donated a car.
The Alkhusi’s move into their own rental, one with three bedrooms, came approximately six-months in. Maggie’s group, through their fundraising efforts, paid the bond and rent for the first two weeks. The family were quickly rebuilding their lives in Goulburn with the help of the group.
Mazin’s first job in Australia was on a chicken farm, and Rouba had found work at a Vietnamese restaurant.1 The couple’s dream was to once again open their own business, something they are now working on with the support of a local benefactor who, motivated by his own refugee background, has offered housing, capital and mentoring to help Mazin and Rouba build on their existing skills and knowledge.
“Mazin didn’t expect to feel joy ever again after what he went through. To see him and Rouba and the boys experience happiness, having a safe and supportive space, it’s been so life giving,” Maggie said. She commented on how George and Elyas had really flourished in Goulburn, throwing themselves into various extracurricular activities – be it sport, music or chess. “People call them the local chess champions,” said Maggie.
Maggie herself sees being part of the CRISP as a real privilege, an initiative that offers ordinary Australians an opportunity to “access a sense of dignity in being part of a solution that can make a difference in refugee settlement.”
“It’s been one of the great highlights of my life, “she said. “And for us, by serving one family, we feel we’re addressing the ache that we all carry when we see what’s happening in the world.”