Figtree High students engaged with speakers and simulations to better understand the refugee experience. Photo: MCCI.
Young Illawarra residents have been exposed to the realities of refugee life with an eye-opening initiative improving understanding and empathy through a unique insight into the experiences of others.
Figtree High School students participated in the annual Illawarra Refugee Challenge to increase awareness of the refugee experience through hearing first-hand stories and leading their peers on an educational simulation.
The Wollongong City Council (WCC) event has evolved over the past decade through collaboration with the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra (MCCI) to bring the program to schools across the region.
WCC development project officer Ku Mima Mo is originally from Myanmar and found great value in speaking with students about her own experience coming to Australia as a seven-year-old before settling in Wollongong.
“Having that opportunity to talk with these students about my personal experience is great and it leads me to reflect on my own journey and my own experiences as well,” Ku said.
“I think it’s really powerful to show people at a young age, this is what’s happening around the world. It’s not something out of a movie or a documentary, this is real life, this is my personal experience, and so many other people’s.
“In targeting students in high schools, they’re at an age where they’re growing and they’re learning about the world, and I think it’s really good to help them see the world from a different viewpoint. It’s been amazing. I’ve felt so privileged to be a part of it.”
Through the program, senior students are trained and then guide their younger peers through the semi-simulated tour, which offers insight into the elements of refugee camp conditions, including food and water supply, toilets, education, medical facilities and shelter.
“The Refugee Challenge is an excellent initiative to educate young people about the journey many people make to pursue a better life as part of our community,” Wollongong City Lord Mayor Tania Brown said.
“It’s a valuable experience for the students involved but, particularly with what is occurring around the world at the moment, it’s an eye-opener for all of us, and a reminder of how lucky we are to call Wollongong and Australia home.”
The contribution of migrant communities has been vital in building and growing Wollongong, with many refugees making our region their home after fleeing the horrors of war and conflict in their country of birth.
The diverse community includes those from Europe who arrived in the wake of World War II, Vietnamese refugees from during the Vietnam War, and Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian communities responding to conflict in the Balkans.
More recently, refugees have largely come from the Middle East, Myanmar, African nations and Ukraine.
“We can be very proud of the fact that Wollongong is a truly multicultural city that celebrates diversity and welcomes people from many different backgrounds,” Councillor Brown said.
More than 3600 have been settled in Wollongong since 2006, with 210 settled last year alone.
For more information and resources on refugee support in Wollongong, visit the WCC website.
