Two women – both
ardently committed to bringing hope to those forcibly made hopeless – have
returned time and time again to Bogor, a city 60km south of Jakarta in
Indonesia, to hear the real stories. Not the stories which trickle through our
mainstream media channels with filters and agendas, but the actual
on-the-ground stories of the people living a life in limbo.
Bogor is a hub for some
3,000 refugees and asylum seekers who have fled danger in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Approximately 500 are
children and youth.
While families wait to hear of their application
status - which can often take up to several years - life is put on pause. Everything
comes to a complete stop. With no rights to work or access education, families
live in very basic conditions with no certainty regarding their future on a
day-to-day basis.
Meet Laura O’Neill and Julia
Frei from Australia who have worked extensively with
displaced people over the last decade all around the world. Connected not only by
their passion, but their deep compassion for refugees and asylum seekers in
Indonesia, Laura and Julia are raising essential funds to establish a learning
centre in the area of Cisarua for the displaced children and youth of Bogor.
I speak with Laura who shares why her and Julia
are devoted to their project.
But before we begin, take a moment to watch
this video Tomorrow Today.
Meet the people of Bogor.
Laura, can you explain to me the situation for refugees and asylum
seekers who find themselves in Indonesia? What rights – or more accurately,
lack of rights - do they have access to? What is life like on-the-ground?
“Many asylum seekers have traditionally come to
Indonesia with the intention to find a people smuggler to aid their journey to
Australia by boat. Since the introduction of the current government's
deterrence policy, many individuals and families are no longer choosing to take
this journey. Therefore, thousands of asylum seekers are waiting in Indonesia for
their refugee status determination outcomes. During this waiting period,
adults are unable to work which means that it is incredibly difficult for
people to support themselves and their families. Children do not attend local
school and spend their days without purpose in small rented rooms.”
I know you have both have recently visited Bogor to meet families who
have been displaced from their homelands. Tell me, what took you to Bogor?
“I first went to the Bogor area because I knew
this area is a migration hub where many asylum seekers lived. After arriving to
Jakarta, I met a young Hazara man who invited me into his community. I was a
total stranger to these people yet I was hosted in absolute warmth and
hospitality, sharing food, shelter, stories and tears with individuals,
families and children. Their situation and stories moved me deeply and since
then, Julia and I have both returned a number of times to develop our project –
a learning centre for children in the area known as Cisarua - so we can find ways
to give back to these people who deserve so much more.”
During your conversations with the community, what stories were shared?
What were you shocked to learn?
“I learnt a lot about people who have been
displaced from their homelands. People, who like you and me, have tapestries of
history and dreams for their futures. I heard stories that force people to flee
from war, terror, kidnappings, bomb blasts, persecutions, missing family
members and the heartache of often leaving alone and carrying a burden of worry
for the wellbeing and safety of remaining relatives.”
