I remember friends and family, holidays and festivals, gathering, chatting, eating and drinking. At New Year there is a celebration and the people come together and make a fire, and dance and sing. Everyone comes with a bundle of sticks put together, already burning, and put it into the collective fire. Everyone contributes to the fire and enjoys it together. It is bright and very beautiful. It burns through the night.

My life changed because I read about democracy and human rights in other countries. I had to do something about it but I did it underground because the government in my country doesn't want to hear any opposition. You can't even talk about it there, you can't express yourself like you can here. Everything goes underground. Because of my involvement I was imprisoned and tortured. The worst part of it is remembering how my family suffered.

We couldn't continue like that, so I started to find a way to leave. Some friends, who had the power to do it, helped me to come to Australia. I always expected that things would change and we could return, as there was a lot of pressure on the government to change. But the government actually became more aggressive and it became worse. I couldn't go back. I was forced to apply for protection in Australia.

Applying for protection is like you are pushing a mountain or wall. You try your best, try to explain. Nobody understands you because they have got preconceived ideas like: 'People come here because they just like the country'; 'People come here because they are poor'; 'People come here and take the jobs, just to live a better life'. They don't understand, it is because you have no alternative - you have no power.

I've lost lots of things. In my country I had my own house, I had my friends, I was with my family. Here it is different. Here I cannot work, I have to depend on charity - there is no guarantee for food or accommodation. Your future is uncertain. So what else can you do? I have no plan. I feel like I am being lead by something; something else is just pulling me around. Sometimes I try to ignore my situation and pretend that I am happy - that is so I don't try to kill myself.

I've survived because of the support I've received. I get a lot of support from most of the people I meet. I've never met anyone hating me because of my colour. What keeps me strong is the support from the community. That maximum support, you know, being with you, supporting you in times when you are unhappy. My family here also supports me. We have children who are so young, they don't really realise how difficult this situation that we are going through is.

I've spent six years in Australia going through all this. I feel now like my life is gone. I feel stuck here. I had ambition once; to study and have a career, to give my children a good life. I have studied and I'm not using my skills. I have an education but it is wasted. My career is gone completely. I wish I had another option, just somewhere safe, I don't care if it is Australia or a poor country like my own. But there is nowhere, you know. I can't go anywhere else, so I have to keep on struggling. It makes me weak sometimes but it also gives me strength. My experience is giving me strength. But I'm going through some hardships and it is getting tougher and tougher.

You know, when it comes to refugee claimants I don't think there is any sympathy - it's just like 'Oh forget about them'. You think there is law, you think there is justice but I feel like we have gone back 100, maybe 200 years, where those who have power can just do anything they want. I feel like the UN conventions on human rights just stays on paper; no one can secure that it is working, nobody is following it up, nobody is checking. Any government can do anything with it. The UN perhaps makes some noise about it but it just seems like there is an imbalance of power.

I feel like people who understand the situation and refugee claimants should try to make the community and the media understand better. Refugee claimants have so much to offer. I bring and offer my culture, my experience, my skills, my own personal experience. My little kids, if they grow up here, if we are allowed to stay here, they can contribute.