Syrian refugee Raed Hamoud Alshaar is leaving no stone unturned in his determination to establish a new life in Australia.
Since fleeing the horrors of the conflict in his homeland, the 23 year old has been working hard to secure his family's future through study and work.
He is currently enrolled in the VCE at Box Hill Institute and has recently found a job at a warehouse in Keysborough.
Raed has a wife and daughter and is desperate to support them, so he is happy to combine work and study and put in long hours.
He has been supported by AMES Australia Case Manager Muhammad Raza, Work Broker Jane Tierney and AMES staff at Noble Park.
He had to flee his home in Sweida, in south western Syria, in 2018 because of the conflict there.
"We had to leave because we had a war and so many problems. Also I couldn't study and it was not safe for my wife and daughter," Raed said.
After spending time in the relative safety of Erbil, in Iraq, Raed came to Australia as a refugee eight months ago under the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) funded by the federal government's Department of Social Services.
He was client of refugee and migrant settlement agency AMES Australia in Noble Park and studied English there as well as pre-employment course.
Raed is optimistic about his future and has been able to find work despite the COVID-19 crisis.
"I am very happy and grateful to be in Australia, where it is safe for my family. And I grateful for the opportunity to study and to work. I want support my family and also study so we can have a better future," he said.
This update is written by AMES Australia Media Team.