A.K. part two

“She just started at school last week, you know? It’s a really big change and challenge for us as parents because she never been to school. 

For almost four years they were stuck in Sri Lanka. It was a bit tough for them. They were in a restricted area, they were really stuck at the house. They could not do much; there’s economic crisis over there. Still going on.

She’d never gone to school. She did not have any friends. Because of the COVID in Sri Lanka, for almost two years, all the schools were closed in different intervals. She had a bad experience in kindergarten, because those teachers did not understood that we have been migrate from other country and was not so friendly, not much kind enough to her at all. And she got so scared, because we travel back to Sri Lanka from Saudi Arabia.  And it took a while for them to settle down over there, and effects of COVID and top of it economy crises back at home make their lifestyle worse and I was away from them for four years in New Zealand to complete my studies. It make the situation worse when they announce the border close for COVID.

The previous country, Saudi, was a totally different lifestyle. If you want to go out and enjoy that is only late in the evening. You cannot talk to each other in public unless you know them, the faces have to cover all the way. She was bit scared to look at people’s faces due to cultural change we experience over there. So there’s something still need to work through. 

As a parent we are so happy to see she go to school after eight years. And school is helping us a lot with this transition of her school  life. And the teachers and principal  in her school have been helping us to overcome this situation. My wife, she’s volunteering in the library. Just giving a hand, sort the books out, slowly getting into the community.  It’s a really big change for us and especially for my daughter. 

And everyone here has been friendly. It’s very nice to be here. 

I want them to be settled down now, slowly and smoothly. Then I could think about what’s next. Because they had sacrificed a lot over there in Sri Lanka I just want them to be happy. Enjoy the company of a kind and lovely community and enjoy the beauty of  nature in Christchurch city.

Some may think will I be able to continue all the volunteer work with groups I used to work before? Salvation, Red Cross, Community Watch and Age Concern. I could say yes, till the time you read this article I still contribute all these organizations.And I am proud to say that I was guided by Volunteer Canterbury when I was looking for Volunteer enrollment. Also, CPNZ community patrol make it more strong in order for me to reach community work. Sometimes I feel bit sad when my daughter ask me are you going this day and when I say I just spend couple of hours to help them and come home  soon, then she smiles and wait looking at the window  ‘til I come back home.”

-A.K.