TRANSCRIPT
Hedayat Osyan is not a professional sportsman but he’s no stranger to kicking goals.
Since arriving in Australia from Afghanistan 15 years ago he's established a community enterprise called CommUnity Construction, which gives jobs and skills to other refugees struggling to find employment.
He says so far he's helped almost 100 people find work.
“ Lots of refugees they are struggling to find job due to language barrier and also lack of network and some of them, those who get job(s), they are being exploited in the workforce because they don’t speak English. And they ask me personally, you are one of us, can you help us to find a safe platform where we can work?”
He's also started a local football team for other young Afghan refugees, and mentors orphans from his country as they find their way in Australia.
Hedayat has been announced as the winner of this year's UNHCR SBS Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition.
The CEO of UNHCR Trudi Mitchell spoke to SBS about the importance of this award.
She says they hope to see more people like him.
"It was set up in the name of Les Murray, who himself was a refugee, but also just to acknowledge the impact that refugees have in the Australian society. And we want that to continue to recognise really amazing people who contribute to Australian society who are refugees. And Hedayat is one of those people."
Figures show only around a quarter of refugees find work in Australia within two years of arriving.
Businesses like Hedayat's offer not just economic opportunities but also social ones, helping people feel a sense of purpose and worth in the community.
He says those who join his football club are able to form connections with others.
“They feel they are empowered and that’s why they start to speak English, they start to connect with community and now most of them they are very independent. They have their own houses and some of them, they sponsor their families from overseas. So they feel very proud and they like they're making some contribution to society.”
Ehsan Waheti is one of the players in Hedayat's football team.
He says joining the team has helped him overcome his emotional difficulties.
"That's why I chose football, soccer. It helps me feel better and happier. So maybe joining a team and meeting new persons, it feels better and (I) make friends, we are laughing and we are together... It's very very powerful and it's just (brought me) out of distress. All great. We need that actually. That's the reason I joined the soccer team, to be out of distress and be happy."
Hamid Ahmad Qiam, another refugee and a teammate of Ehsan's, says being part of the team has made them feel part of the Australian community.
"We have a sort of feeling of belonging here so now we think that we are part of Australian culture and this is absolutely something we never imagined before."
The Les Murray award was judged by Australia for UNHCR CEO Trudi Mitchell, UNHCR Regional Representative Adrian Edwards, SBS Editor of Australia Explained Roza Germian, and Australia for UNHCR Board Member Lynn Dang.
