Brunswick Heads sisters Sana and Ghina Bloudani have shown just what a refugee family can do if given the chance of a new life.
The girls and their parents, Ousama and Walaa, arrived in Australia 18 months ago after escaping war-torn Syria and living as refugees for 12 years. They were settled locally with the assistance of Northern Rivers for Refugees (NRFR).
Now Sana, 14, has won a prestigious national scholarship worth $20,000 over four years. And Ghina has just been elected school captain for St John’s Primary School, Mullumbimby.
Sana, who enters year 10 at Mullumbimby High School, hopes to use her Harding Miller Education Foundation (HMEF) Scholarship as a pathway to studying medicine.
The HMEF scholarship is for girls attending Australian public schools who demonstrate academic excellence, face financial barriers, and are highly motivated to succeed at school and pursue tertiary education.
The scholarship provides online IT support, high-speed internet, online or face-to-face tutoring, online homework help, and financial support for essential school needs such as uniforms, textbooks, and school excursions.
Each scholar is allocated a personal coach who supports and guides them through the four years of the program.
HMEF also provides a Future Success program to guide students on career and tertiary education choices. The foundation is a registered charity in Australia, recognised as a public benevolent institution advancing the cause of education.
‘I hope one day to become a minister for education,’ says Sana.
For livewire Ghina, life is a ball, demonstrated by the hilarious video she and her sister shot when campaigning to become school captain.
While the family still face employment challenges in the region, they love living here and are determined to put down roots after years of hiding and eking out a life.
For more information on local refugee settlement, contact www.nrfr.org.au.
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