Australia
We hope you enjoy this collection of our favourite moments of hope, resilience, and achievement in 2024. Discover the impact former refugees are making in Australia, along with the quiet achievements of our humanitarian champions.
Hedayat Osyan is a former Afghan refugee who established a social enterprise that employs refugees in the construction industry. He won the 2024 Australia for UNHCR - SBS Les Murray Award for his outstanding commitment to providing life-changing training and employment opportunities.
In his spare time, Hedayat mentors Afghan children, helping them settle into school and life in Australia. He also supports a group of young Afghan men, giving them a sense of community and belonging through football.
Rob Kolbe, an avid runner and UNHCR supporter, celebrated his 50th birthday by running 50km across the Harbour City, from Botany Bay to the Sydney Opera House. Rob was joined by friends and family along the way, each donating to support refugees in need.
“I really like to run, and I really like to hang out with friends, especially while running. So, what better way to celebrate my 50th birthday than to combine those things and help others? Especially because I can do it along the spectacular coast of Sydney’s eastern beaches,” Rob said.
Olympic sprinter Kimia Yousofi received safe passage to Australia a year after the Taliban retook Afghanistan, with the assistance of the Australian Olympic Committee.
In 2024, Kimia competed in her third Olympic Games, representing the women and girls of her homeland.
“The feeling I have going into these games is different compared to the last two. I don’t think about myself a lot now. I think of the situation in Afghanistan and my responsibility to represent Afghan women and girls who are unable to work or go to school. I need to remind the world not to forget them,” Kimia said.
Ruth Carter is a long-time supporter of Australia for UNHCR, donating the proceeds from her plant store to help refugees in need.
The retired doctor generously began selling plants with a simple honesty box for payments outside her home in Sydney. She now sells her plants at local markets and online.
So far Ruth has raised over $11,000 to provide refugee families with life-saving aid.
Food is one way that displaced people stay connected with their cultures and traditions while rebuilding new lives in a different place. Some displaced people even turn their love of food and cooking into a business.
We’ve highlighted five of the delicious recipes from our Flavours of Hope cookbook. From Ukraine to Sierra Leone – each recipe was selected by a current or former refugee to tell their story and share a taste of their culture.
Explore the delicious recipes and download your free copy of Flavours of Hope
Forty years ago, Oanh Thi Tran and her family fled Vietnam in a fishing boat, searching for a better life.
Today, she sits proudly at the bench of the Fair Work Commission as the country’s first woman Commissioner from a refugee background.
“[This is] the pinnacle of a career in industrial relations, in employment law, and it is an absolute privilege to have got here,” Oanh said.
Noor Kabir was born and raised in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, which hosts almost one million Rohingya refugees.
When Noor first watched the Hollywood film Rocky, he instantly knew his life would never be the same.
“As a Rohingya, you have no nationality. You feel like nobody. In the camp, there was no future. Rocky gave me motivation,” Noor said.
At 16, Noor arrived in Australia, unable to read, write or speak English. However, through hard work and determination, he fulfilled his dream of becoming a top athlete, just like Rocky.
Today, he is the world’s first Rohingya bodybuilding champion.
Refugees share their stories of courage and resilience
Professor Al Muderis fled Saddam Hussein's Iraq after refusing to amputate the ears of army deserters. Today, he is one of the world's pioneering orthopaedic surgeons.
Refugees and other members of the community came together last month at the OneStep Walks festival in Sydney, commemorating World Refugee Day.
The majority of funds raised by Australia for UNHCR are directed to UNHCR’s emergency operations, providing the ready funds and resources to respond quickly and effectively in situations of crisis and disaster.