Our Faces, Our Stories - Stockland

Ameer Mohammad SaeedThe daysI will neverforget...We have to leavequickly. Be readyin four hours, my fathersaid.I was speechless. How would lleave everything behind, my family,my house, my friends?It was early morning on the 5May 2005 when we left Baghdad.We travelled by car to Jordan aswe were trying to leave our lifebehind. I was only thirteen, andI was too young to know what layahead.The journey took two days andwe were exhausted when wereached Jordan.In Jordan, my father felt safeenough to tell us the reason whywe left Iraq. He told us that hehad been threatened by terroristswho said they would kill hischildren unless we left our house.My dad could not bear the thoughof that, so he took us away fromthe danger as soon as he possiblycould.School in Jordan was very difficultbecause I felt I was not acceptedand often ridiculed. Also,I felt my family needed financialsupport and that I would be betteroff working than going toschool in Jordan. So, I madeup my mind to help my familyby working rather than going toschool. I worked in a gift shopin Jordan for four years, which Ienjoyed very much. My brotheralso worked in Jordan in a children’swear store.My dad originally told us wewould go back to Iraq in threemonths. However, he hoped wewould migrate to Australia, whichwas much better for our future.So, we combined our money togetherto migrate to Australia.We sacrificed a lot of our familytime while we were in Amman inorder to meet our family goals.In 2009, we moved to Sydneyand I started school at FairfieldIntensive English Centre. Now, Iam in Year 11 and look forwardto undertaking the HSC. Afterschool, I hope to study to becomean interpreter and youth worker,and help people like I have beenhelped in my life.Right now, I’m excited about whatthe future holds for my family. I’malso glad that my family is in asafe place, and we are pleasedwith our decision to migrate toAustralia.14