RAHUDA'S STORY
Rahuda came to Australia from East Africa in 2000
at the age of 15 for the Olympic Games, not to compete
but to represent her country in a youth participation
scheme that Australia sponsored to give young athletes an experience of international
sport at the highest level.
Rahuda was orphaned at the age of 3 and was taken
to a German funded orphanage in her city. She had completed
year 9 when she came here in 2000, but because she
had no English she repeated the year. She was given
Refugee Status and admitted to Wylie Park High School.
Rahuda was referred to Stepping Stone House by the school
counsellor, as she was experiencing problems with the
African woman with whom she lived. When she was admitted
in October 2002, it was her first experience of belonging
in a house, like a family. The Co-ordinator and the Chairman
(both males) and staff (mostly female) helped her a lot
with school and personal problems. It was certainly the
nearest experience she had of a family since she was
orphaned. They were always there to offer advice and
find solutions.
“The Co-ordinator of Stepping Stone House wrote the reference
for my Citizenship application, that was very important to me. Kate (a
youth worker) helped me with advice as a woman through those teenage years,
which was also very important. And you guys (the Committee of Stepping
Stone House) if you didn’t run this house where am I going to go?
All the kids at Stepping Stone House have different problems, so you people
by running this house take care of them and help. They don’t have
parents, so they come here and find love, peace and the possibility to
study.”
In 2004 Rahuda sat for her Higher School Certificate.
The Committee obtained funding for an English tutor
who came every week during her HSC year. She was delighted
to obtain 59% in her English exams after only 4 years
in Australia.
She also did well in Maths and Ancient History. The
other important subject was Legal Studies in which
she studied Legal Systems, Common Law, Legal History
and other (she remembers Magna C arta 1215). This led
her on to a tertiary course at TAFE in Sydney.
She did some sport at school and received a “Soccer
Certificate”. But with her studies, tutoring
and p art time work at Woolworths Supermarket (which
she found as soon as her English was good enough) there
was little time for sport. From that time she sent
money to her brother in Africa, the other residents
at Stepping Stone House also contributed money for
him.
After 2 years in Stepping Stone House when she completed
her schooling in November 2004, Rahuda moved to an
apartment nearby. Here she still has contact with
the house and the staff to whom she is so attached,
but is otherwise independent.
She summed up her situation in Australia and at Stepping
Stone House:
“I came here, I liked it, I stay here.”
STEVE'S STORY
Steve, who grew up in South Sydney,
was 16 years when he came to Stepping Stone. He had
not seen his father for years; his mother had a partner
and there was a great deal of conflict at home. Just
before Christmas 2001 Steve’s mother told him
that he had to leave and arranged for him to move
to a local crisis refuge. A few days later Steve went
home to get more clothes and found the house abandoned
and there has been no trace of his mother since. Steve
has been at Stepping Stone House now for 17 months.
He attended Ashfield Boys High School; Stepping Stone
provided him with school and sports uniforms and general
needs as he came to us with absolutely nothing. This
year he had difficulty with the school curriculum and
so it was decided that he should seek a job. He is
now working two days a week learning panel beating/spray
painting and he is looking for an apprenticeship and
full time job. His self esteem has improved. He adjusts
well to the dynamism of the group in the house.
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