Because we needed to survive in Australia I had to find work. I worked in a car wash for $8 an hour and then at an abattoir for two and a half years, which was an incredibly hard job; but we needed to survive and I knew if I could save money I would be able to study.
To study meant great financial sacrifice. Hossein worked full time and studied in the evening completing Certificates III and IV in Fitness. These courses cost $10,000 a year. He had no savings and all his money went to his education.
English is Hossein’s third language so he faced incredible challenges in the classroom. He struggled to listen to and take notes at the same time, and relied on his memory to learn. He had to work harder than most students to succeed – and despite these setbacks, he did.
But Hossein felt he could offer more. He wanted to study nursing, to give back to his community. At this point a friend told him about the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s free courses. From that moment Hossein’s path was set.
With help from Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Victoria University’s Western Melbourne English Program, Hossein was accepted into a Nursing Preparation course in 2018. He also managed to secure a part-time work in aged care to support his studies. His life was finally changing.
I was really happy that I could study and work as well, I felt good. I felt that my life was slowly changing and I was finding my purpose to help others and improve the community.