Refugee gains hope through education

Overcoming an English barrier and finding a job she loves, Iraqi refugee Diyana Habeeb has one thing today she didn’t have prior to moving to Australia – hope for the future.  

The 26-year-old is currently a laboratory technician working in food testing – a role she attained after pursuing the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) and Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques (MSL40118) at Kangan Institute.

Her life just four years ago was vastly different. 

“We went to Lebanon from Iraq in 2016. We stayed in Lebanon for two and a half years. They were the hardest years in our life. We worked like there was no future, nothing there,” she said.

It was only upon hearing that her family’s application to Australia (their second attempt) was finally accepted, that Diyana began to dream of a better life.

“I couldn’t believe it; I just started crying because I knew a beautiful future was waiting for me,” she said.

As a newly arrived refugee, rebuilding her life from ground zero came with its own set of challenges, but Diyana was ready to give it a go with the support of TAFE and the Ucan2 program offered to Kangan Institute’s AMEP students through the Centre for Multicultural Youth and Foundation House.

“My biggest fear was English. (But) everything changed in Kangan. I got more self-confident because in Certificate II in English I was in a program called Ucan2. They help young people like me to develop themselves… everything you need to start your life, they help you with that,” she said.

Wanting to pursue a future in chemistry and biology, Diyana consulted with Arabic Welfare, another community partner of Kangan Institute, to determine her career steps. 

That’s when she discovered the possibility of a career as a laboratory technician.

“Some people told me it was hard to do it. I said, ‘that’s fine, if it’s hard, I’m going to study’”, Diyana said.

Successfully completing the course, Diyana is now working with “one of the best supervisors I’ve ever worked with”, with her daily work including testing and safeguarding the quality of food for people and animals. 

“I love everything about it. Food is important for everyone, not just people, but also animals. We have to make sure it’s good quality,” Diyana said.

Diyana, who was also named Kangan Institute’s 2020 Inspirational Young Achiever of the Year, hopes to expand her knowledge in a new direction. She has set her sights on dental technology and will soon begin university studies. 

“Being a student at Kangan Institute changed a lot of things in my life,” Diyana said.

“Education will continue to play a big part in my life, and I will always try my best to continue education and get more opportunities for my future.” 

Kangan Institute works with various community partners to provide its AMEP students with wrap around support, from settlement and legal advice right through to career support and health care resources.  

Funded by the Australian Government, the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) provides free English language lessons to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants aged 18 years and over.