Esther – Queensland

Others have cared for me, so I want to make sure I give it back.

I came to Australia from South Sudan in 2006. My village was ambushed by militants and they killed most of my family. I luckily escaped to Egypt where I met my husband and had our daughters.

The transition was hard as I only spoke Arabic, but I learnt English quickly and things were looking up, until my marriage broke down. I really struggled to provide for my children when he left, there were times when I would skip my meals so the girls could eat.