Chasing the Australian Dream

Perry Pewee, 24, dreams of making a good living in Australia. But there are many obstacles to overcome.

“I like to live in Australia permanently”, said Perry with a broad smile. “It’s such a peaceful place…a good place to raise a family”.

Born and bred in Lamco city in Liberia, young Perry came to Australia as a refugee 18 months ago with almost nothing but the shirt on his back. But things are looking up. So it seems!

Like many refugees from the sub-Saharan Africa, Perry knows the value of education as the key to success.

And like the overwhelming majority of the new arrivals, he must now learn to live with the harsh reality of unemployment, coupled with low disposable income. Not to talk of boredom, and frustration!

Nevertheless, Perry thinks he is equal to the task. And he wants what all reasonable Australians want, in the best of times: a job, a home, and a good family.

Meanwhile, to my greatest surprise, he has wholeheartedly embraced the popular notion of “working and studying” as a way out of poverty, “if that’s what it takes to make it” in Australia.

Undoubtedly, Perry is determined to succeed.

Now, he has set his sights firmly on the pursuit of higher education as a means of improving himself. He is on the verge of achieving his goal.

But, at the moment, his number one priority is to finish his diploma course in Accountancy at Adelaide Institute of TAFE, before going to the university next year.

True to form, Perry is a young man on a mission to rescue his family. “I want to bring my whole family to Australia as soon as possible”, he said.

“I miss them a lot…can’t live without them”.

His mother and four sisters are still living in Lamco; trying to make a living in post-war Liberia – which is not an easy task. But for Perry, growing up without his family is the main source of his worries. His father died during the war!

“Looking back, Lamco used to be a great place in which to live before the civil war in Liberia”, said Perry. “Now, things are a little bit uncertain”.

But, as the earth moves, Perry is working hard to achieve his goals; honestly believing that, one day, all his dreams will come true.