[Intertitle: Motivation]

l used to be a radio reporter – journalist. It was hard, it was hard.



You experienced, say death, you experienced, you were there. You saw somebody killing someone. But you can't talk about it, because that person maybe is from the government, or from the opposition. 



So whenever you say thing you have to measure up. You have to know is this really what I have to do? Or you have to report first to the authority, but you witness it. 



I'm telling you it's very hard. Your life will be in danger. 

[Intertitle: The journey]



You just heard the news, 'Some people are looking for you man, you have to be careful.' Simple, you know. I was under obligation to leave behind my family, and run away from my country. Just as I was. With only your clothes, no bag, no document, no nothing. From my work ... to neighbourhood country. 



From neighbouring country, my life wasn't secure again there. Because it's still the same people you know, authorities always talk together. I ran from that place to Zimbabwe. It's a long journey, it was really a long journey. 

[Intertitle: From Zimbabwe Seraphin organised new documents with the UNCHR and managed to travel to England as a refugee.]



It was very hard. I lived in England for ... for 6 years. You know, living without having a permanent document, which allowed you to do to work, to study, to do those kind of stuff. I was useless. 



I applied for my family to come to join me in England. They say, 'This is rubbish – you can't apply for this.'  'Yourself, you know ... you are not allowed to stay in this country.' So they take me to the detention centre. That was after 2, 3 years. They just leave you for 3 years without telling you anything.



My wife, I told her 'Look you have to run away from that country because it's not safe for you. As long as I'm not there, you too, you are not gonna be safe, so you have to run away.' 



We plan that she went to refugee camp in Malawi. Then from there she applied to the UNHCR refugee. 



They approve her story based on my story. You see different people, different judgment, different – those kind of stuff. Anyway, so they approved her stories and they told her 'Okay, look we gonna apply for you to any country which will come for you and then they will take you.' 



When I heard that she's here in Australia already. I was kind of you know ... that proudness come into inside my heart. It's kind of arrogant a bit, but it's not in that way. I said 'No, you government, England, British people, allow me to go. I need to go. You don't want me in your country. I need to go.That's it.' Within a week. Visa, ticket and flight. I was proud, very proud. 

[Intertitle: First impressions]



My first impression of Australia was ... was people. When I find so many people in Australia, they are coming from somewhere ... Some people came to wait for me at the airport. There was white people from New Zealand, and another one was from ... from Canada. 'Are you from Canada?  So together we are in Australia we are one now?' And he said 'Yes, yes.' That was my first impression to people accepting you as you are, and you accept them as they are. I mean it makes me feel happy, about Australia and its people. 



I couldn't believe that I have a such family. I couldn't believe that I have a beautiful wife, because it was long time not seeing her. I couldn't believe that I have ... I didn't even know my latest child from after 6 years. When I left, after 6 years I didn't know her. We stay at the airport for more than, more than 15 minutes hugging each other. We couldn't talk we were just like this. 'Is this true? Or I'm still dreaming of seeing you guys, of being in Australia.' 



It was a beautiful, a beautiful time in my life. Ever compare ... never, never, ever compare at all. 

[Intertitle: Settlement]



When I arrived I found her in the house in Salisbury. She was renting and I go straight away there. The government didn't even say anything about it. How beaut it is. They didn't even, they didn't even say a word. It was just kind of 'Oh that's your wife, okay. Go and stay with your kids.' We gave you a visa for that. Go and stay with your kids. 



And my visa was a permanent visa. It was you know, coming from an asylum seeker, an option to be a permanent. You see, it's like a 100 miles away from the zero where you were.  So it was a long journey for me to understand that I have a permanent visa. Which allows me to study, allows me to work, allows me to … to do whatever I can do, which is good. Not that this has allowed me to do bad, it allowed me to do things which is very good and positive minded. I was very proud. Yeah, I was very proud. It was straight away to my house. It wasn't I have to pass detentions again, or to go to another style. No, no, no, it was just very easy, very easy. 

[Intertitle: Work and play]



The Salisbury council organized the event for new arrivals. They were looking for interpreters, for translators everywhere. They couldn't find any having 2, 3 languages, who can speak 3 or more than 3 languages and I said, 'I can do that!' They said 'Are you really sure?' I said, 'Yes I'm sure I can do that. I can speak 5 languages myself.' Say 'Wow is that true?' 'Yes.' 'Okay, come and help us.' 



Yeah, that was my first job in Australia and I loved it. Until now I still working for Centrelink, just as something as a contractor. Anyway, so you don't earn too much money but at least you are, you are helping the connection between the officers and the client. I mean, to me that's good. My plan first is to finish with my study. I'm doing social work. I know and I believe through my social work skills, I can, I can help the community. 



Especially, especially. My dream always be directed to the new arrival in the country. To support and help those people, to gain at least a basic knowledge of defending themselves outside. It's kind of empowering them. Give them power, engage with them and be one of them, putting myself in their shoes. Because I experienced it in England, how hard it is to be a new person in a country. 

[Intertitle: Family]



I'm a father with a big family of 8 children. I was planning to get more, but it is very hard in Australia. [Laughs] Our first daughter is married in Perth. Second one married here in Adelaide. And the third one is here with a child, with a boy. So I'm grandpa already anyway. 



I'm living here in Australia with my young brother and he's got his family, and my cousin. So at least we have a family here. We have a family. We always meet every day whenever we need to meet. We don't book an appointment to meet, it's not like Australian way. [laugh] We don't book appointment. I pop into my young brother house, to my big brother house, this kind of stuff. As African, especially, they always like togetherness, we always be together. We can't do things as ... as someone who doesn't have someone to support. But we always support each other in everything and that's very, very positive. 

[Intertitle: Challenges]



The culture first is a big challenge in Australia because it looks like Australia doesn't have a culture. Because, one of what I discovered in Australia is people people swear too much and they call it 'Australian culture'. Why is nothing wrong? We can't have a negative culture to be introduced as a positive culture in a culture. It doesn't make sense to me if I can start to swearing in front of my kids.



As African we are not allowed to swear but some Africans they start swearing. Why? Because they are 'copy and paste' and forgetting about their culture. But I personally, am not. I'm not allowed to swear. The language is quite really challenging, especially when we first came in Australia. But now we are used to it, so we just found out ok easy. Take it easy. Ok someone just shout at you. Ok take it easy. Someone just use the f-word for you or to you. Easy. You have to be strong really and you have to persevere. You have to learn how to be patient.

[Intertitle: Return visits]

I really feel like I'm homesick sometimes, but nothing I can do about it ... Simply because of my backstory. I applied for my parents to come to visit us. Can you imagine, just to come to visit us, but in my case they rejected my application. 



They said 'No, no, no.' 'We don't really trust they will come and go back. 'We think they'll come, and stay, and seek asylum.' That was the answer from the Immigration. I said 'Ok, so what am I supposed to do then?' 



The other aspect they said in their correspondence. They said, you don't earn enough money to support them. If one is sick, how are you gonna pay for their hospital? That kind of stuff. Which they are right sometime, they're right sometime, but it's not really ... it's not really fair. 



That's the big deal, that's really very hard. It's not safe for me to visit. Them as well, they can't come here while I'm not working, while I don't have enough income, enough money to support them. But I'm really, I really feel like one day, it will happen. I'll make it one day. I'm trusting, trusting God. One day it will be possible. 

[Intertitle: Reflections]



Australian people are free to talk. Now I love freedom. I love freedom. I love to talk. When it's time to talk I need to talk. 



I know Australians always take it as a granted ... But to me, Australia is a country of opportunities. Everything is open for you, if you only need to do a step. Get in, do it. Or study, get this degree, do that and then you find Australia is easy. I love Australia, I do love Australia. I love Australia. So much.