Helping youth to have a say

The Australian Human Rights Commission co-authored a report into the effects COVID-19 was having on young people. The report raised concerns about their mental health, educational impacts, social isolation, impacts on family life and on day-to-day activities. We sat down with young people from refugee backgrounds and asked how they were looking after their well-being during the pandemic.Salam my name is Nasrullah Rajab Ali, I came to Australia 5 years ago from Pakistan, but I an Afghan. During the COVID-19 pandemic there were lockdowns in Sydney, and we couldn’t go to school, so I really missed my teachers and friends while I was at home. I had a lot of spare time, so I used this time to exercise so I could look after my health. Hello my name is Achol Juk, I’m a Dinka girl from a tribe called Twic Mayardit. Since last year when COVID bought isolation to people I prioritised my writings and I started writing poetry because I like writing a lot. My name is Shahida, I’m from Afghanistan, and I am an advocate. Before COVID-19 I had become very active using social media. So it had become very overwhelming. The first thing that I did was I took a step back from social media and decided to just focus on myself and my mental health and physical health. One of the things that I did was spending more time with family, especially with my little sister. Hello, my name is Subash I’m studying social work at the Australian College of Applied Psychology. During the Coronavirus pandemic, I looked after my physical and mental health by talking to my family, exercising daily and doing yoga. This is Nayereh Norzehi from Afghanistan, I’ve been in Australia since 2019 and I’m studying at Bankstown Senior College right now. I spent time by myself to know who I really am. So the things I love about my hobbies is, I love music, I love playing other instruments like hand drum, or piano or also guitar. And the reason why I love these hobbies is because they are letting me to be myself. The music, reason why I love music is because music is leading me through my path and music is making me relax. Hello, I’m Kyi Soe Han. I’m 19 years old. I’m currently studying graphic design at TAFE. During COVID I focused on taking photos, doing cinematography, and working. My name is Irfan, and I’m a student at Western Sydney University. I focused on developing good habits because I had the chance. And also because of that I wanted to spend more time with my family and close friends, because it was very good for positivity. My name is Sam Matty, and I’m from Iraq. During the COVID-19 period, I have taken care of my physical and mental health by exercising everyday at home, and eating healthy food. My name is Hamza Khan and I’m studying Bachelor of Chiropractic Science. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic I got the opportunity to join online forums where I met new people and where we talked our way through the pandemic. I’m Muhammad, I’m an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Apprentice. Of course, last year was a challenging year for everyone around the world. Especially for me when I was employed full time and I took a month off because my parents health was not very good. So I took a month off to care for them and also myself. Working on myself mentally, reading books doing research. To stay strong mentally. Hi, my name is Shaimaa and I’m 13 years old from Syria. I liked to look after my physical and mental health by having walks in the morning, going to local parks with my family, and staying positive. So of course there’s two sides to everything, always try to favour the good side. Learning from last year, it’s good to appreciate everyone around you, those who you love, spend more time with them. Things I’ve learned to appreciate during the COVOD-19 pandemic is the importance of family, of friends, and the importance of physical and mental health. Follow the government’s COVID-19 guidelines so you don’t put others in danger. Prioritising your health both mentally and physically but also the importance of spending more time with your loved ones. During the COVID-19 (restrictions) I sat down. One thing I liked about the pandemic is that I stayed home with my siblings because before I didn’t use to see them much. But with my family now, we stay together. Now we go to the park together, we play and we sit together. The Corona virus has bought several problems to our lives. But despite this the positive thing I’ve learned from it is to increase my self-confidence. I learnt the following lessons from last year, from COVID-19, that you should be flexible and adaptable because situations like COVID-19 can happen at anytime in people’s lives and the entire world. Staying at home was not bad, spending time with family was not bad, talking to them because I’m not next to them, talking to them, listening to their problems, or to their habits was good, because we get to know each other more. And my message to the people is that always be grateful for what you have because you never know when Allah is going to take it from you.