’Gunshot in middle of night’: How one inspiring man saved his family
After losing both parents at an age when the world should be your oyster, a young man sacrificed everything to raise his four siblings.
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Tears of joy, cheers and happy celebrations are just some of the ways the region’s newest residents express their gratitude when they are granted Australian citizenship.
Whether they’re fleeing dangerous countries, seeking more opportunities or leaving their old life behind for the person who makes their heart sing, the special moment signifies more than just the right to vote and hold an Australian passport.
Catholic Care Social Services executive director Kate Venables (pictured) said about 200 Toowoomba Refugee and Migrant Support clients were eligible to apply for citizenship last year and almost 250 in 2022.
Data from TRAMS shows the primary cohort applying for citizenship were families from the Yazidi community, primarily from Iraq, as well as residents from Syria, Afghanistan, Congo and South Sudan.
“The majority of TRAMS clients arrive in Australia on humanitarian visas due to significant persecution and lack of safety in their home country, (and) they arrive as permanent residents to settle safely in Australia,” Ms Venables said.
“For many families, citizenship feels like a milestone in what has often been a very traumatic and difficult time prior to their arrival in Australia, especially for those who have come from a refugee background and parents especially are often so proud to see their children officially become Australians.”
Permanent residents are permitted to apply for Australian citizenship four years after their arrival.
The majority of clients who submitted applications in the past 12 months are still awaiting an outcome.
Here are just some inspiring stories some of people who moved countries to obtain Australian citizenship and live out their dreams in Toowoomba and the land down under.
Thuch Angui
Waking up to the sound of gunfire most nights may be hard for some to imagine, but for others living across the globe it’s a terrifying reality, which happens so regularly that it becomes the norm.
Originally from South Sudan, a country known for its long civil war, Thuch Angui lost both his parents by the time he turned 19.
His father, who was a soldier, sadly lost his life during combat in 1999.
Less than a decade later, his mother passed away from health issues, as there was no hospital near the family home and they had no access to transport.
The oldest of his four siblings, who were aged between nine and 16 at the time of their mother’s death, Mr Angui became the family’s main caregiver.
Over the years he made many sacrifices to ensure his brother and three sisters still received every opportunity they had.
“It’s a hard life if you don’t have anyone to look after you,” he said.
“You can’t go to school or work if you don’t have anyone at home … when I was in my country, we couldn’t afford school fees and uniforms for everyone, so I stopped going to school so my siblings could continue their education.”
On July 9, 2011, South Sudan gained its long-fought independence from Sudan, which led to a violence-fuelled war.
Despite a peace deal in 2018, the conflict and human rights violations continued.
“It is really difficult for all of South Sudan with the war … even now you will hear a gunshot in the middle of the night and you don’t know the reason why,” Mr Angui said.
“Everyone has a gun so it could be the war, or it could be someone attacking you or stealing from you … because we were born there and lived there since we were kids, it didn’t really affect us because that was just normal.”
Mr Angui migrated to Australia with his four siblings in February 2017 and began working at a meat factory in Toowoomba.
Working at the factory full-time for almost four years, every dollar he earned went towards putting food on the table, rent and his siblings’ education.
He eventually saved enough money to purchase his first car, followed by one for his brother and sister too.
After completing English classes at TAFE, the Australian permanent resident decided to leave his factory job so he could finally follow the dreams he had sacrificed for so many years.
Now aged 23 and enrolled at the University of Southern Queensland as a full-time student, Mr Angui one day hopes to make a difference and help children by becoming a primary school teacher.
The inspiring young man has also submitted an application, with the assistance of the CatholicCare TRAMs program, to become an Australian citizen.
“(Becoming a citizen) is very important because it would be something that I’ve never had before,” Mr Angui said.
“Australia is one of the best countries because of the life and opportunities here – when I came here I was able to do whatever I wanted in my life, so I call Australia my home country.”
The next step of the process will be for Mr Angui to take the citizenship test.
Sita Nabizada
Australia offers freedom, safety and opportunities for those fortunate enough to call the country home, and the importance of those values hasn’t been lost on Sita Nabizada.
The mother-of-five from Afghanistan, moved to the land down under with her family in December 2014, and while the change didn’t come without its obstacles, she has never looked back.
“Our country was not safe for us and our young kids, which was very hard, so we left our country and came here,” said Ms Nabizada, 36.
“When we came (to Australia), we had to leave everything behind and start from scratch which was also challenging.”
A former high school teacher in Afghanistan, Ms Nabizada taught biology and chemistry and planned to gain the qualifications required to teach in Australia, but found the workload too difficult while running a household and raising her five children, including little Zohra, who was the first in the family to be born in Australia.
Passionate about cooking and baking, the loving mum decided to start her own business Afghan Traditional Sweets in 2018.
Handmade with love, the business owner’s traditional product range includes Baklava, fresh cream rolls, cakes, pastries and biscuits.
Ms Nabizada said she hoped to one day return to teaching when her children were grown up and expand her Toowoomba-born business.
She said although some women were employed or ran their own business in Afghanistan, it wasn’t always the case.
When the Taliban took over control of the country in 2001, many women and girls were forced to give up their occupations and education and remain at home.
“I want to share my sweets with all of Australia,” she said.
“Freedom and safety is what I love most about Australia and to us, Australia is home.”
The family became Australian citizens in 2020.
Andrea Gatfield
They say when you know you’ve met the one, you just know, but few people can say it’s led them to make a grand romantic gesture like moving across the world to be with the one they love.
When husband and wife Drew and Andrea Gatfield first met more than a decade ago, they formed an instant connection and one that has grown stronger by the day.
Andrea, 39, who is from Columbia, was granted a visa to live in England in 2009 where she began to study the English language.
A year later, she went on a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland with a group of friends and went on a pub crawl to celebrate her birthday.
It was at one of those venues that she first met Aussie traveller Drew and when he returned to his Toowoomba home, the pair stayed in touch via Skype.
Over the years Drew travelled from Australia to England and Columbia to visit Andrea, and despite long-distance relationship obstacles like time differences, their relationship continued to flourish.
During his three-month-long stay in Columbia, Drew met Andrea’s parents, the couple got engaged and they decided Andrea would apply for a visa and move to Australia.
After four years of doing long distance, Andrea finally arrived in Toowoomba in January 2014, and they were married one month later.
“It was a bit crazy, but we just knew it was meant to be, and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” she said.
“In my country we don’t think long-distance relationships work because a lot of trust is needed, but it just felt right, and we believed in us and knew if it was meant to be for us, everything would work out and happen and it did.”
The Australian citizenship ceremonies were one of the first events to be cancelled in 2020, due to Covid-19, but after a few false starts, Andrea made it official the day before her birthday.
“We had to have a smaller ceremony in July without guests and photos, so that was a bit sad because it is such a special celebration, but I was very blessed because my husband could attend,” Ms Gatfield said.
“My birthday is on the third of July and the ceremony was on the second … you cannot get citizenship when you’re born so it felt like a rebirth.”
Although they haven’t seen each other since Christmas in 2019, Andrea messages her mum daily and they have a catch-up via video conferencing software every weekend, which has helped with the homesickness.
Now aged 39, the Toowoomba resident said she considered January 26 to be a day to acknowledge and reflect on the past, the history of what had brought everyone here and show gratitude for the present and future.
“I never in my life thought I’d ever become an Australian citizen – Columbia will always be home, but I now call Australia home too,” Ms Gatfield said.
“Australia is the land of opportunity – opportunities I didn’t have in Columbia that are probably simple things in Australia, like learning to drive, swim and fish … those things have really made me appreciate my life here.”
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