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This might not answer the reflections, I will wanted to mention that I read the article: *Amnesty's report Myanmar/Bangladesh: Rohingya community facing gravest threats since 2017", was very insightful as this was written for Amnesty International UK Branch as I don't remember reading this on the Amnesty Australia website. I found the following article on the Amnesty International Australia

website https://www.amnesty.org.au/from-myanmar-to-australia-people-wanted-to-help-but-also-learn-from-us/

I found this gave me faith in the humanity of Australian people, there are decent caring people who want to help.

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The picturesque bohemian suburb of Warrandyte, in Melbourne's north-eastern outskirts, became the unlikely home to a family of six escaping violence in Myanmar back in 2022.

Parents Nang and Muang and their three children were sponsored by a group of volunteers who, working with the organisation Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA), harnessed local solidarity to help create a safe new home for the family and learn about their rich culture.

More than two years on, Nang and CRSA volunteers Hanh, Greg and Laura reflect on the power of communities, new friendships and future projects.

Nang

We left Myanmar because of the civil war there. First, we went to Malaysia. I was 16 and travelled, without papers, with a group of 12 people, mostly young. It was a very difficult journey. It took more than two weeks to get there, on foot, on fishing boats and trucks.

We had to walk a lot, sometimes throughout the night. It was very rough. I was transported in a truck for pigs. Some people got it worse. They were put in refrigerated containers and some of them died. We are lucky that we survived. I remember arriving in Malaysia without shoes.

My husband Muang left Myanmar when he was 17. The first time he was intercepted by the police at the Thai border and sent back. Then he tried again and made it to Malaysia.

One of the biggest fears living in Malaysia without papers was to be arrested by the police. It was like a ticking timebomb, walking on the streets, doing your job without a passport, without a working visa. You could be arrested at any second.

We spent 16 years in Malaysia.

In 2022, CRSA told us we were going to Australia, to Melbourne. We didn't even know where Australia was. A week before we arrived, we had a video call with the community group that was going to sponsor us. They gave us a lot of information and told us not to worry, that everything was going to be ok.

I still remember when, as soon as we got off the plane, we were greeted by the community group, they had banners that read: "Welcome to Australia!" They had jackets for us and food. They were always asking if there was anything we needed.

The kids were very excited about all the animals in Warrandyte. The house where we stayed at the start had rabbits, chickens and ducks. There were also lots of birds, which we didn't get to see in Malaysia.

Life changed a lot. Every morning, we got to wake up to very fresh air and we would all go out for walks to listen to the birds chirping. Everybody knew our story and would come and say hi.

Life changed a lot. Every morning, we got to wake up to very fresh air and we would all go out for walks to listen to the birds chirping. Everybody knew our story and would come and say hi. They knew we could not speak English very well but there was a lot of willingness to help and learn about us, from us. I was quite surprised about that.

The community group was incredibly supportive from the start. We received a lot of help from everyone. We had never received help like this from anyone before. It really made us feel like at home and everybody felt like family to us.

Life now is pretty good. We are working a lot. Muang is working at a restaurant, he is a very good cook. The kids are growing and doing very well at school. We are the lucky ones.

The kids are growing and doing very well at school. We are the lucky ones.

I had heard about refugee sponsorship on Facebook, and it sounded interesting, something I could get involved in. It appealed to me given my own refugee background. I experienced how difficult it is coming to a new country, so I wanted to get involved to help make those challengers easier. I also felt the Australian government should be more welcoming and provide more help to those caught in warfare.

Together with Greg we posted a message on the Warrandyte community page asking for people who might be interested and, just like that, we started a group.

There were six of us in the group, including a work-from-home mum, a psychologist and a schoolteacher. It was a very diverse group, with different skills, and that really helped get things done. Also, Warrandyte is a great community; people like to help others.

We all think we have the power to change things and that really helped. People quickly got involved and started donating things and funds. It really makes you feel that not everything is lost.

We all think we have the power to change things and that really helped. People quickly got involved and started donating things and funds. It really makes you feel that not everything is lost.

I've been thinking that we should start again and sponsor a new family. Every one of us has the power to do good.

Nang and Muang built a life in Australia because they worked really, really hard. They embraced everything that was thrown at them. We are very proud of what they have achieved.

Working with CRSA was key. They really helped and prepared us with various trainings so we were always clear as to what the family needed and what we needed to do. Also, the whole Warrandyte community, which is very strong, got behind the project. People were fantastic. Lots of people donated things, funds, and a couple of local celebrities also got involved.

We made sure we always kept everybody informed and up to date with what was happening. At one point the Facebook group we opened for the family had around 800 people!

Australia in recent years has had some very controversial, deplorable asylum seeker policies. When we first started, we were wondering what people would say; if we were going to get some negative voices from the community about refugees. But the reception has been great. This was not a total surprise because we know we have a great community. But the response was so overwhelmingly positive.

We were very, very lucky to be working with them. We have created a bond that will last forever.

I think this is because they all understood the bravery that people have in order to leave their country to go somewhere else, to try and start a new life. The attitude coming from the community was the opposite to what we had seen at times coming from the government.

Being involved in sponsorship has been very rewarding, very fulfilling. We feel the closeness and have learned so much about other people's stories, backgrounds and culture - particularly the food!

We were very, very lucky to be working with them. We have created a bond that will last forever.

I look back in amazement at how much was achieved in a very short space of time. There have been aspects of hard work, but you look back and you realise that you had the capacity to do it.

It gives you a sense of how much community actually means and what it means to be in an environment where people are happy to help and are open minded enough to help and learn.
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all - and we can only do it with your support. Act now or learn more about our Refugee Rights work.

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From Myanmar to Australia: "People wanted to help but also learn from us"

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The suburb of Warrandyte, in Melbourne's north-east, became the unlikely home to a family of 6 escaping violence in Myanmar back in 2022

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This bill is a band-aid solution that doesn't address the real problem of Offshore Detention. While it is a step in the right direction, Offshore Detention must be abolished completely. It is also important to remember that the previous Medevac Bill was not entierly successful. Yes, people on Nauru and Manus Island were brought to the mainland for medical treatment. However, they were locked up in hotels and immigration detention centres, that were not only not fit for purpose, but served to exacerbate the health issues of many. In many cases, they didn't even receive the medical treatment they were brought here for. If this law does pass, we need to make sure that the mistakes of the previous Medevac law are not repeated.

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I am amazed that the Medevac scheme was so short, I don't understand how this was repealed so quickly (It should never have been) The hope was taken away when hope is what the refugees are clinging onto, so it does not surprise me that suicidal ideation is happening as this what happens when hope is gone.

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I was just so shocked to learn of the withdrawal of education to girls after age 12.

The ability of these girls to be used for free labour, early marriage and juvenile child birth is just so abhorrent to me.

Pre taliban, women showed just how they bloomed with educational opportunities.

I’m also concerned about health issues with women being deprived of sunlight, hygiene products, nutritional food and social contact with other women. This is so injurious to their mental health.

I’ve signed and shared the petitions.

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People like Fatima are the heart of resistance to theocracies. Her passion was stronger than the cruel patriarchy of Taliban.

We must always share these stories and interconnect them other stories like Yazidi women who've been enslaved by ISIS and today's Syrian women who are experiencing discrimination in their everyday life.

The best way to support Afghani women this week is by advocating for their rights, especially by sharing their stories to my friends and to the wider community.

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Fatima's resilience despite losing everything stunned me. To amplify Afghan women's voices, we must share their direct testimonies, not speak over them. This week, I'm going to listen to the podcast: Risking their lives for football - Heroes and Humans Podcast to learn more.