Letter in Dari خط خوش آمدید به زبان دری
Letter in Pashto د ښه راغلاست خط په پښتو ژبه
A message from Afghan community members living in Adelaide.
Dear friends,
This is a message from Afghan community members living in Adelaide.
Some of us have been here for about two years.
Some have been here longer.
Some of us only arrived recently.
We want to welcome you to your new home. We are confident that you will find a safe life here in Australia.
When we first heard that you were coming, we had many questions. We were concerned and did not know if you were having your needs met at the medi-hotel where you are quarantining. We wonder about your difficult journey that led you to Australia and how hard it must have been to leave Afghanistan in these chaotic times. We wonder how many of you had made it into Australia, and we wonder if you were from the same provinces as us. Maybe we were neighbours in Afghanistan. Or maybe we went to the same school as kids.
We also wanted to let you know that there is no need to worry if you don’t have anyone here. We are here for you. This is our promise.
We will be so happy to accommodate you and help you to get familiar with this society. If you need us, we will accommodate you in our homes until you gain your independence.
Even if you don’t have anything with you, don’t worry. You have our support. You can count on us.
There is a diverse Afghan community here. People from many different provinces and ethnicities. We will link you with the right people.
We wanted you to know that once quarantine is over, and if you decide to stay in Adelaide, we’ll be happy to help you. And if you go to a different city or state, we can help you connect to the local Afghan community. No matter where you go, we will make sure to help you connect with our people. Do you like to play cricket, football, or volleyball? We can even introduce you to the local Afghan teams!
If you are worried about not speaking English, about not being able to survive, well we have been through this. We all have experienced the uncertainty, we had a lot of questions when we first moved to Australia, and with time, we learn that we can get through any challenge that the future may bring.
We think the most important thing is that you are outside the chaos. We believe that the most important thing right now is that you are safe.
Just before Kabul fell, some other Afghan families arrived here. One is now my neighbor. I am here to help them. He would tell you this himself, but today he is getting his driver’s license. He is starting to make his new life here.
We want to let you know that you won’t be alone in that struggle, whatever you are dealing with. We are here for you. This is our promise.
This group can be contacted through Dr Abdul Ghaffar Stanikzai via WhatsApp on 0469 893 215
Surviving the Ocean of Depression
Dulwich Centre Foundation has produced the following audio resources in Dari and Pashto from stories of Afghan people who have made new lives in Adelaide.
“We want to share with you some of the ways we have survived despair, or depression, or worry. These are our stories, ideas and messages. They are stories from men and from women. From older people and from younger people. If you are drowning, we hope our words reach out to you.”
راه ها و روش هایی که می توانیم بر افسردگی و مشکلات روحی خود غلبه کنیم
راه ها و روش هایی که می توانیم بر افسردگی و مشکلات روحی خود غلبه کنیم
Overcoming the ocean of depression
Stories told in Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Nepali and Pashto
In this project, asylum seekers and refugees who are now living in Australia generously share their experiences in overcoming hardships in order to reach, support and empower others.
