AHMAD Ebrahimi was a tailor in Iran when he applied to relocate to Australia as a member of the persecuted Hazara ethnic minority.
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He arrived in late 2016 to join his sister in Launceston but found there were limited work opportunities for people in the Hazara community.
“In Tasmania, it is a little bit difficult to find work. I see a lot of unemployed people, and they are feeling bad about it,” Ahmad said.
He studied English as hard as he could and within two years had secured permanent work at Murrakei Berries near Deloraine where he manages irrigation systems and other maintenance work.
The position became available through a partnership between the farm and the Refugee Employment Pathways program – an initiative of The Tasmanian Opportunity, a group of enterprising Launceston residents.
Ahmad told others in the Hazara community about his success, and the farm was happy to offer further opportunities. There are now at least a dozen Hazara working there, some with full-time equivalent roles.
“When I was able to get a job, I told them about the vacancies and they were all really happy to start working,” Ahmad said.
“I try to show people that you can find work if you try your hardest and work hard.”
Murrakei Berries manager Tamara Clark had found it difficult to find appropriate workers for her raspberry, strawberry and blueberry farm that supplies Driscoll’s.
While the work was mainly seasonal, there was still plenty to do in preparation for the summer period.
Ms Clark said they would prefer to have permanent staff, rather than rely on seasonal workers.
She said the Hazara had embraced the farm work.
“Language is such a barrier to finding work. We thought, if no one gives them a chance, then who will?” she said.
“I call Ahmad my assistant. If there’s anything that needs to be done, he’s always happy to come and do it.
“It’s really hard to find good workers. They are just really, really good people who work hard.”
Launceston’s Hazara community has grown to 80 families in recent years, numbering about 400. The majority are from Afghanistan where they faced violence from the Taliban.
In October, the Taliban launched further attacks in Afghanistan’s central regions, killing thousands.
Ahmad said they were happy to find peace in Launceston – a city he believed was better suited for Hazara than capital cities.
“I am so happy to be here because the cost of living is so cheap compared to other parts of Australia. If they were living in other cities, they wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for anything,” he said.
Refugee Employment Pathways was launched at the start of 2018 – a pilot program led by City Baptist Church pastor Jeff McKinnon.
He said if the program was proven to be successful, it could be extended to other parts of Tasmania.
“We believe that Tasmania is in a really good place for the right people to be settled,” he said.
“We chose the Hazara community for this program because it’s the largest refugee group, and the inability to get work means they have been unable to integrate into the Launceston community.”