This week is Refugee Week, one of Australia’s peak annual activities to promote greater awareness of refugees, their issues, and their contributions to the Australian community.

In 2024, in a world marked by displacement and the search for refuge, this year’s Refugee Week theme is ‘Finding Freedom’, with a focus on family. This theme encapsulates the profound journey of resilience, strength, and unity that defines the refugee experience.

This theme invites us to explore the stories of refugees who, despite their challenges, discover a source of freedom within the embrace of their families. Whether it’s the unwavering support of parents, the protective love between siblings, the communal strength found in extended and chosen families, neighbours, and support systems upon arrival in Australia, or the financial and emotional backbones that make the journey to safety possible, these connections become a beacon of hope in times of uncertainty.

From the recent Northern Health Diversity survey, it was recorded that 1.4 percent of Northern Health staff are from refugee background. Raghad Habash, Arabic Interpreter at Transcultural and Language Services (TALS), shares with us her refugee story.

“I am a refugee, and the following is barely scratching the surface of the hard journey we went through.”

“On 6 August 2014, at dawn, our town was under direct attacks by ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), there were casualties and a woman and two children lost their lives. Seeing that ISIS was getting closer and tightening its grip, the whole town and all neighbouring towns had to flee to find safety.”

“We did too and we lived in Kurdistan region, Iraq for over a year. But due to continuous threats, uncertainty and potential danger, we decided to seek refuge in Jordan. Leaving the country was the hardest decision to make because we knew fully that it will be many years before we could see our extended families again, and resigning from our full-time jobs wasn’t easy either.”

“Australia had the Special Refugee Humanitarian Visa program running in 2016, so we applied and were granted the permanent residence visa later that same year. As a young family of three, my husband and I enrolled in English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes to gain better knowledge of the language, community dynamics and career pathways. In 2018, I found myself working in community services and studying to get an interpreting degree at RMIT at the same time.”

“I’m proudly working with TALS as an Arabic/Chaldean Interpreter. Working here means that I could connect with people from my community and from a refugee background to make one aspect of their journey feel slightly easier. That shared trauma and the need for help have impacted our lives deeply, so when we get a chance to make a difference, we are ready to help.”

“This shows on the faces of those patients that we work with in the hospital with the gratitude and kind-hearted blessings they shower us with by the end of that hospital visit. It is quite fulfilling and a privilege to be there at their time of need.”

Like Raghad, numerous other refugees, many from Iraq and Syria, fled their country in the last 10 years and have successfully settled in Australia. Both Hume and Whittlesea areas in Northern Health’s primary catchment are among the top 10 refugee settlement areas of Victoria.

Northern Health has a dedicated Refugee & Asylum Seekers Sub-Committee and some of the specific services for refugees available at Northern Health include the Refugee Paediatric Clinic at Craigieburn Centre, and the Assyrian Mothers Group aimed at improving the engagement of families of refugee background in pregnancy and postnatal care, early childhood health and health literacy, as well as reduce social isolation.

This week, the Northern Health Refugee Asylum Seeker Sub-Committee together with the TALS Team have organised the following activities for staff and the community at Northern Health.

• Monday, 17 June to Friday, 21 June: Display board in the front foyer of Northern Hospital Epping
• Tuesday, 18 June, 2 pm to 3 pm: TALS Seminar/Webinar on Working with Refugees and Asylum seekers – Click here to register
• Wednesday, 19 June, 2 pm to 3 pm: Seminar/Webinar on Refugee Women’s Health and cultural aspects of FGC (Female Genital Cutting) presented by WHIN (Women’s Health in the North) – Click here to register
• Thursday, June 20, 10 am – 1.30 pm: Refugee event at the City of Whittlesea. This event is an excellent opportunity to be part of Northern Health services, meet local community members, and speak to them about it. Please let us know if you would like to assist in any way.

For more information on Refugee Week activities at Northern Health, please click here.

Northern Health has a number of support options available to all staff. We encourage you to reach out to someone you trust, or one of the support options available to you and your loved ones. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to you and your family and is a free and confidential service that offers professional support for work-related or personal matters. The Northern Health Peer Support Program also provides staff with brief, practical and emotional support.