*COFFS Harbour’s John Akway Cham contributes stories for News Of The Area on the diverse, multicultural nature of the region, with a focus on the experiences of the area’s refugee community.

COVID-19 has been a main global issue for the last two years, having many impacts on our way of life.

Covid has also been an additional concern for our local Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, particularly recently arrived refugees, struggling with the day-to-day issues of settling in Australia.

Local man Nawrooz Mihi from Iraq shared with News Of The Area the experience of his family’s arrival to the country in 2019, and settling into life with Covid in Coffs Harbour. During the bushfires of 2019, Nawrooz and his family landed in Sydney and changed planes to Coffs Harbour.

Much to his surprise, they landed back at Sydney airport, only to be informed that they were unable to land in Coffs Harbour because of the bushfire smoke, which made it unsafe to land.

“While we were in Sydney, we were given food, but the different taste of food and the long and tiresome journey had taken away our appetite.

“After five hours of waiting at Sydney airport, we flew back to Coffs Harbour and landed safely,” Nawrooz said.

“Our first main challenge and more specifically to myself as a young person, was lack of English, as it was needed for effective communication within the community.”

The challenges of settling in Coffs Harbour were quickly exacerbated by a shocking accident involving Nawrooz’s mother.

“As we were focusing on our settlement, starting a new home in Coffs Harbour, a shocking incident interrupted our first experiences of excitement and curiosity.

“My mother got hit by a car while she was crossing the zebra crossing.

“It took her six months, living on the bed without any movement,” he said.

Another tragedy soon struck when Nawrooz’s elder brother Nawas went missing in Woolgoolga while swimming.

“Until today we have never found his body,” Nawrooz said.

“We remember him as being a hard working person and a young man with a bright future.

“He worked at a pharmacy as well as an interpreter.

“What still hurts me most today is seeing my mother not easily letting the past experiences go.”

Covid- 19 is the latest challenge to Nawrooz and his family.

Covid is making it even harder for people setting up a new life in Australia.

The first wave of Covid-19 negatively affected our way of life, but there was some hope when Covid-19 cases decreased.

However, seeing its comeback a few months ago created more frustration and it worries people that lockdown could return to interrupt work, study, and many other activities.

Nawrooz hopes that we will all get back to our previous normal way of life, so that we can reunite with relatives and friends.

 

By John Akway CHAM