Syrian refugee Mariam Georges and her family have found safety and a new life in Melbourne after suffering through years of conflict, trauma, discrimination and uncertainty.

Forced to flee their home and their lives in the Syrian city of Aleppo in 2017, the family found little comfort as exiled refugees in Lebanon. They suffered acts of violence and exploitation by employers; and with a disabled daughter and husband suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, they were near destitution.

Now living in Melbourne’s north suburbs, Mariam has secured NDIS support for her husband and daughter, her two other children are on educational pathways and she is improving her English and preparing to find a job.

The Georges family fled the violence in Aleppo that almost completely destroyed one of the oldest cities on Earth in 2017. The fighting between the Syrian government and the rebels in the city had a devastating impact on the lives of tens of thousands of ordinary people.

There were shortages of food and medicine and buildings were bombed, including hospitals and schools. And Mariam left behind a promising career as an aged care community house manager.

“In Syria, we lived in Aleppo, which was once a beautiful city but has now been mostly destroyed,” Mariam said.

“In our house we had to cover all of the windows because of the fighting and the bombs. We lived mostly in darkness without sunlight,” she said.

“We had a good life in Aleppo before the war, we had everything we needed. But the war turned everything upside down. My son was urged to carry a gun by some of the local groups – but I resisted that. 

“After war started, life and everything we knew changed. There were acts of terror, there was religious discrimination and people were being killed for no reason,” Mariam said.

They family arrived in Lebanon scared and uncertain about their future. Marian was worried about how they would live with no money few work opportunities.

“When we arrived we were very exhausted because of our experiences in Syria. And then in Lebanon, we faced discrimination and we had very poor housing – just a tiny house – because things were so expensive,” Marian said.

After their arrival, Mariam’s son George was attacked and badly beaten but the family did not have the money needed for proper medical treatment.

Mariam, George and her other daughter Ann had to work hard to afford a tiny, one-bedroom flat.

Ann, already traumatised after witnessing brutal instances of torture in her community was forced to work like a drudge to make ends meet.

“She was badly treated, working in Lebanon under extreme circumstances,” Mariam said

“She was asked and forced to carry heavy items such as buckets and tins. Ann was crying every day, her hands were bleeding and had blisters; her back was painful and her wrists were injured. She was treated unfairly and disrespectfully and she was paid very little,” Mariam said.

After spending 19 months in Lebanon, Mariam and the family came to Australia as refugees one year ago under the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) funded by the federal government’s Department of Social Services.

But Mariam has a mother and brother still languishing in Lebanon, as the economic and security situation there worsens, and also family in Germany.

“I have applied for my mum and brother to come to Australia to be reunited with us and I have a file number but there has been no progress because of COVID,” she said.

“I don’t know what will happen in the in the future but my dream is to bring my family here,” Mariam said.

“We decided to come to Australia because we heard it was a free country with no discrimination and with democracy and the rule of law. We thought we could have a good life in Australia.

“And I feel guilty that I am safe and living a relaxed life here. When I am eating, I feel guilty because people still in Syria can’t eat because of the situation there,” she said.

Since arriving in Australia Mariam and her family have been supported by migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia.

They have all undergone comprehensive health assessments, they have been supported to obtain affordable long term housing and they have completed a program to orient them to Australian society and life in Melbourne 

The family have been supported to access Alzheimer’s therapy for Marian’s husband Gabriel and NDIS services for daughter Margaret, who has an intellectual disability.

“We arrived here with the ideas that our kids would now have a future and a new life. Our first house had big windows and had sunlight coming it. It was wonderful,” Marian said.

“After we arrived our AMES case managers Andrea and Faten supported us and showed us great empathy,” she said.

“They understood our situation and supported us with everything we needed. They helped me step by step to reorient myself and start to be independent,” Marian said.

“Now that I am comfortable that my husband and daughter have some support and also some independence, I want to do something myself. I want to improve my English and find a job,” Marian said.

She has been referred to a training centre that is helping her with English and ultimately she will enrol in an aged care course.

Mariam, George and Anna are attending English classes. George linked with a job service provider and has training as a hairdresser.

Mariam and Anna want to move forward with their lives want to study further, especially to take advantage of the time they spending at home due to the COVID 19 restrictions.

“I want to pay back this country for the opportunities and the safety that my children now have; and I want to be a good citizen and contribute,” Marian said.

Mariam says she wants to build her social skills and find work to pay back the love Australia and its people have shown her family.

She has connected with Victorian Arabic Social Services and she has started working as a volunteer helping CALD women to stay socially engaged.

“I realised it wouldn’t be easy but we are determined to achieve our goals and overcome the difficulties we are facing,” Mariam said.

“I am very grateful my family has found safety in Australia and I want to give something back,” she said.

“Because of the support of AMES and the Australian government, I now feel my family and I have a future,” Mariam said.