A spirit of hospitality
Sulaiman Zandinan expresses nothing but gratefulness for the life he has been given in Australia. He acknowledges the role of teachers and schools, sports clubs and coaches, workplaces and friends in helping him to settle into his new home. Still a teenager at high school, Sulaiman has most of his life ahead of him, yet he can already take pride in his achievements since settling in his new country.
Sulaiman’s life in Australia is a far cry from what he and his family had to endure in war-torn Iraq. They came as refugees in 2018 and were settled in Toowoomba where Sulaiman attends Harristown State High School. “It’s an amazing school with great teachers and great teaching. I absolutely love it,” he says.
“After coming to Australia my life changed for the better by learning a new language, having new friends and new jobs,” he said. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that there were challenges, “When I came to Australia …. it was hard as I didn’t know where to go or what to do.”
Sulaiman said that although he had ‘zero’ English when he arrived and he found the new language difficult, he tried very hard and he never gave up. Maybe his persistence and success in learning English is tied to the fact that it’s his fourth language!
Sulaiman attributes several things as helpful to making his life in Australia one where he is safe, where he is afforded opportunities and where he can work hard to realize his dreams – having new friends from other countries, football and his job at KFC where he aspires to become a manager.
Sulaiman is particularly proud of the fact that he has qualified as a football referee and gives credit to his coach, Mark Burchardt who provided all the necessary information and helped him gain entry to the course in 2021. In addition to refereeing school games, Sulaiman also plays for the Willowburn Football Club.
According to the Refugee Council of Australia, “settlement is a two-way process requiring adaptation by both the refugee and the community into which they are settled. For settlement to be successful, there must be ‘a spirit of hospitality’, where refugees are made to feel welcomed into a community.” [1]
When asked by Ashley Hodges from You Belong if he would share about his life, Sulaiman’s responses bore witness to this two-way process in action. From a young boy born into an unsafe and strife-ridden country in the Middle East to a young man with purpose and a vision for the future, this new Australian is already making a mark in his community.
You Belong is proud to be involved in helping refugees find their place and acquire skills needed to gain independence and thrive in Australian society. You can find out more about our community events and empowerment initiatives
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[1] refugeecouncil.org.au/settlement-challenges/ - accessed 25th June 2022.
Sulaiman playing soccer with his local team
Sulaiman works at KFC
