An Afternoon of Song and Conversation
April 2025 event
On Sunday 6th April, over 70 members and friends of Inner West 4 Refugees came to the Pavillion at the Marrickville Library for an Afternoon of Song and Conversation.
The Pavilion was provided by Inner West Council and the event was generously funded by Club Ashfield.
The Pavilion provided a comfortable and accessible venue that ably accommodated all our speakers and guests. The song was harmoniously provided by the Mouthtrap Choir, led by the very talented Tanya Sparke. Singers ranging from 18 – 33 yrs filled the hall with music and song, which helped to lighten some of the stories of people seeking asylum- safety and a future in Australia.
The afternoon was artfully MCed by Abang Othow, who saved the day, standing in as MC at short notice. She very graciously introduced the various speakers to the audience and seamlessly kept the afternoon on track.
Abang, the deputy Chair of the Asylum Seekers Centre, has her own story of arriving in Australia. After fleeing war in Sudan, Abang spent years in refugee camps before arriving in Australia alone at the age of 17.
Thanush tells us his experience
During the afternoon we heard of the many difficulties faced by individuals and families fleeing violence and persecution.
Thanush, a Tamil man, fled Sri Lanka in the depths of the civil war. He attempted to seek asylum in Australia but was detained for years offshore on Christmas Island and Manus. For years he was not able to contact his mother, who had no way of knowing if he was alive. He shared his stories, and a video made while living with other detainees.
After the Australian government determined to close the camp, it left the men with no electricity and no running water. In the upheavals that ensued, Thanush suffered a broken arm and came to Australia under the brief provision of medical evacuation “medivacs” that allowed offshore detainees to come to the mainland to receive significant medical care that was not available on the island. For several years now he has remained on a Temporary Protection Visor (TPV), that does not permit him to work or study and every 6 months he must face the anxiety of seeking another TPV.
Our speaker Batoul
We were also introduced to Batoul, a young Palestinian woman who had been living in Gaza and studying dentistry. She had photos of herself and friends enjoying the streets of Gaza. Scenes unrecognizable from those on our TV screens today. Batoul came to Australia on a tourist visa. Life in Australia has been an enormous adjustment but she is now meeting people through JRS and has been offered a scholarship to study health science.
Both Batoul and Thanush spoke of the support they have received from JRS, often when no other support was available to them.
Amelia from JRS described the services JRS can provide to those who are not eligible for income support or other support services. This includes grocery deliveries and outreach services. JRS receives no government funding and relies on community support and contributions. Dr Elizabeth Biok, a retired refugee lawyer and member of the JRS Board elaborated on the complex and frustrating path many seeking asylum in this country face.
We were all encouraged to share the stories of the ordeals and courage of refugees and asylum seekers and to urge our governments and communities to stand with refugees and support them in their quest to settle safely in Australia.
Amelia and Batoul explore more about her experience
The Inner West for Refugees Team