Key Points
- Sama, 16, is teaching other refugee children in a Gaza refugee camp the violin and singing.
- Since October 2023, 2,999 Palestinians have been granted mostly visitor visas to come to Australia.
- Refugee advocates say visitor visas bar new arrivals from accessing Medicare and work rights.
Sama, 16, is currently based in a refugee camp in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
On her birthday last December, she said she resolved to positively impact other displaced children by transforming tents into classrooms for music therapy.
One of her students, Mohammed Abu Eida, lost his hand during the hostilities, which ultimately required amputation, forcing him to stop playing the oud, a lute-like stringed instrument from the Middle East.
"I felt overwhelmed because Mohammad would not be able to participate like other children. I encouraged him to replace the oud with the violin, but he was afraid," Sama told SBS Arabic.
"I created a way to tie a bow around Mohammad's arm so that he could play."
It has been a year since the Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 250 others, according to Israeli authorities.
At least 41,615 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip over the past 12 months, according to the health ministry in Gaza, and another 96,251 wounded.
Evacuation from home
Sama said she was a violin and singing student at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Gaza City until 7 October, 2023.
"On this day a year ago, I was preparing for my exams and the Institute's concert, but the war destroyed our dreams and what I thought was the sound of thunder became clear after an hour that (it) was (instead) the beginning of the war," she said.
Sama Rami Nijm teaching violin to displaced children in war-torn Gaza. Credit: Sama Rami Nijm
On the way out, she said she grabbed her violin which she describes as her "wooden companion".
This war was the beginning of the end of life for us.Sama Nijm
She said she had mistakenly thought the evacuation was for a short period and could not have imagined at that time that she would lose everything she had left behind.
"I have experienced difficult moments that I will not forget," Sama said.
"I was hurt when I saw the world living a normal life through social media."
One of her worst deprivations was standing in a queue of 70 people to use one bathroom and getting up at 4am each day to try to get in quicker, she said.
Sama said she saw her uncle and her cousins die in the war but despite all of the trauma and displacement, she resolved to try to find some light in the darkness.
"My birthday was a turning point. My friend Saleh (Jabr) and I chose to volunteer to teach children singing and how to play the violin," she said.
Sama said she missed her old life desperately.
“Oh how much I miss home, for the stairs that witnessed my play and heard my voice! How much do I miss hot food for people and eating my mother's homemade food in the kitchen," she said.
"I want to breathe Gaza air without the smell of gunpowder."
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has had a global impact, including in Australia
'Precarious situation'
According to a spokesperson from the Australian Department of Home Affairs, between 7 October 2023 and 30 September 2024, "a total of 2,999 migration and temporary visas have been granted to Palestinians to travel to Australia".
"This includes, 2,607 visitor visas, 99 family visas, 52 resident return visas, 82 skilled visas, 59 student visas, and 100 other temporary visas," the spokesperson said.
"Of the migration and temporary visas granted after 7 October 2023, 1,492 Palestinian visa holders were in Australia on 30 September 2024."
With Sama's encouragement, Mohammad Abu Eida, who lost his hand in the war, is learning the violin. Credit: Sama Rami Nijm
"A visitor visa only provides for very limited circumstances to make another visa application whilst in Australia, and doesn't allow for access to Medicare, work or study rights, or other financial or housing supports," Dale said.
This leaves people in a very precarious situation in Australia, especially when experiencing trauma and significant vulnerability.Sarah Dale, Refugee Advice & Casework Service
She said many refugees from Gaza had experienced "the loss of loved ones, family separation and uncertainty in knowing what the future may hold".
"This creates substantial barriers to a person's ability to heal and find safety in the place in which they have arrived," she said.
"This is why at RACS we advocate for the need to assess people's protection obligations fairly and swiftly and to give all refugees, however they arrive in Australia, long-term safety.
"This in turn provides for access to supports, access to family reunification and real safety to resettle in peace."
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