TRANSCRIPT:
Maryam and her brother Zamir Melezai are enjoying the Sydney sunshine, playing music and badminton with one another.
It's a world away from the upheaval they witnessed in their home country of Afghanistan.
Maryam says the journey to Australia was taken in stages as she and her brother sought safety.
"I moved from my hometown Kandahar, Afghanistan and then I moved to India a second country in search of a third country ... a safe home."
When she and Zamir arrived in Australia in October last year, they say they were greeted with kindness, openness and support.
The siblings say that included a program called Reclink.
"Because I myself like being active and to expose and everything. I like meeting people and stuff. And that's why - it's fun. You also play, and you meet people, and they're like - good."
Reclink is a national charity that curates a network of social service agencies and sport and recreation partners across the country.
Their stated purpose is to provide programs that create moments of joy, human connection, and a sense of purpose for participants.
Anthony Newman is the senior sports coordinator for Reclink in Sydney.
"Our programs would range from anything. So for example, we have the boxing programs, taekwondo programs, tennis programs, soccer programs, yoga programs, dance programs. i mean, it never really ends. if you can think of the sport we have the sport, if it's within the means of that LGA to run that sport, then we can do it."
Roman Abasy is another refugee who has found Reclink to be a source of encouragement.
He represented his country on the world stage in the 2014 Asian Games, taking home a bronze medal in Taekwondo, and with the help of the Australian Olympic Committee, fled Kabul in 2021.
He says sport has the power to bring people together.
"I know the power of sport. Sports not like playing some games. i know how sport can support refugees CALD communities and everyone, and in my experience, we launched a program, football programs. on the first week, we invited forty participants from refugee communities. they don't know each other, but after one or two week. The know each other. They make a friend, and now they're in touch with each other."
But Roman says the cost of joining in can be prohibitive.
"My big dream is that one day sport will be free for everyone. The one thing I noticed in Australia is sport is expensive for those who have financial problem."
Anthony Newman says Reclink provides the perfect vehicle to help - with some 60 free classes a week on offer for around 2-and-a-half thousand participants across Sydney.
"The purpose of these sorts of programs and Reclink, Australia's programs, in general, is using sport as a vehicle to bring people together and to create new connections in the community, increase social wellness, increase physical health, and all the holistic things that come through participating in sport. So you'll find often in elite sport, you might not have the opportunities to just come relax and have fun, but everything that we do at Reclink is for free. So this activity, for example, the coaches, the equipment, all of that is provided for free to the participants so they can come down, relax, enjoy themselves, make new friends. in a safe, supportive, and happy environment."
Maryam and Zamir agree.
They say a tennis program at Reclink was one of the avenues that helped them connect with others when they arrived in Australia.
"Actually I love badminton a lot and tennis is pretty similar to badminton, so I joined and it's fun."
