KK* grew up in Sudan where, as a Catholic, he feared persecution.
For a long time, he stayed in Sudan thinking the conflict and danger would go away - but it didn’t.
Desperate for safety, KK fled alone to Cairo, Egypt. There he found temporary security, but he needed a safe place to settle down.
KK discovered that Australia was accepting migrants and applied through the UN to start a new life here. That was 13 years ago.
When KK arrived in Australia, language and cultural differences were a significant barrier to settlement. KK spoke some English, which made things easier, but he said the culture, the way people treated each other and people’s backgrounds made it hard for him to communicate effectively.
‘You can’t run away from it, you just have to face it.’ – KK
KK now has four children and he has undertaken several TAFE courses, which led to him opening his own business. He volunteers at a church where he supports youth groups and teaches bible studies.
KK learnt about the Refugee Dads and Kids (RDK) Weekend from a friend who worked at CatholicCare, and signed up to attend the weekend with his son.
‘It’s really useful for the family, to have strong relationships – and more information to understand relationships and mistakes or areas for improvement with parenting,’ said KK.
26 refugee dads and kids attended the recent weekend away, where they participated in a range of fun and challenging activities together!
We'd like to thank AccessEAP for providing funding for the RDK program, as well as our Team CatholicCare supporters who raised funds through Run Melbourne this year.
See the video below for an insight into one of the days spent at YMCA Camp Manyung!
*Clients names have been changed to protect their identity.