Our Faces, Our Stories - Stockland

Mariyam ZeiaJourney of my lifeEverything is possible for himwho believes. Mark 9:23This is the story of my life andhow it was difficult to come andsettle here in Australia. I wasborn in Iraq in 1992. I was tooyoung to know what was goingon at that time, but my parentstold me about what happenedand how we overcame the difficultiesto get to Australia.I left Iraq with my family in 1995,when I was three years of age.My family migrated to Jordanbecause my parents wanted mysister and I to be safe; they knewthat the situation in Iraq was goingto worsen.I lived a happy and safe life withmy family in Jordan. I went to aprivate school because at thattime, the government rules werevery strict and they did not acceptrefugees in their public schools.My parents were very keen forus to have a good education sowe could have a good future.Year after year, I was growing upknowing that the country that wewere applying for refused us severaltimes, but I was still able tostay focused because I was goingto school and concentratingon my education.The Jordanian Government hadvery strict rules and they did notallow Iraqis to work in Jordan.The police caught my fatherworking as a carpenter, he hadno choice, we didn’t have anyoneto help us. The Jordanian Governmentsent my dad back toIraq. Our family was separated,with my dad in Iraq and my mum,sister and myself in Jordan. Itwas a really tough situation becausewe were children and hadno other family there.My dad called my family fromIraq, he told us he was going toTurkey, and we should get ourselvesready to migrate.In 2003 we arrived in Turkey, Istarted at a small refugee schooland began learning English. Ifound it hard in the beginning tofind new friends but it got easierlater on. I studied there for threeyears and I joined the school’schurch choir.During 2006 I became an Englishteacher; I taught younger boysand girls the English alphabet tostart with, and then I took moreadvanced classes and taughtthem for another three years.That was a really wonderful experiencein my life and I will neverforget it.2008 was definitely the best yearbecause after refusing us entry toAustralia nine times, we were acceptedby the United Nations program.That was the best time forus, we were getting ready, buyingclothes and all sort of things thatwe may need. We departed Turkeyon the 8 April 2009, on the 9April we arrived here in Australia.I was very excited to start a newlife here. I will never forget thefourteen years overseas. Theywere tough, but good times.22