top of page
chris peken
p h o t o g r a p h y
SEEKING REFUGE
 Hakim - Here I AmHakim Noor is an inspirational young man who has already broken through many obstacles in life. A single child, his parent died in a motor vehicle accident and was taken in by his grandparents. His grandparents then subsequently disappeared and he has no idea if they are alive or dead. He came to Australia by boat, and has made his way through the pain of his loss to be seen by his friends as a positive young man willing to take on any challenge. He aspires to being a model and Bollywood actor. |  Maria - ThinkingMaria Salad came to Australia 3 years ago by boat from Somalia. Maria spent nearly three years behind bars while she was seeking refuge. She was born and grew up in a country where she would see dead bodies in her daily life; to see bullets and bombs flying over head was common place. All she knew was war. To Maria people would eat when they had something to eat, the only thing they would ask for is for everyone to come home safe. One day, Maria's father went to work, he did not come home. |  Ali - Floats Your BoatAli Omar is 22 years old. He was born in Iraq and is currently a student at Bankstown Senior College. He left Baghdad on 2006 when the civil war began as his life was endangered for religious reasons. Ali and his family traveled to Egypt and lived there for eight years, when he finished high school he was prevented from going to university. Ali's father decided to risk his life traveling by boat to Australia, in the hope of a future for his family. |
|---|---|---|
 Mustafa - FriendMustafa Mustafa is a young Afghani man who grew up during the war and lived in fear after been threatened several times by the Taliban. He decided to leave loved ones behind and make his way to hunt for a safe world. After a journey by plane and sea he finally made it to Christmas Island where he was detained for uncountable months. Mustafa has now finished his HSC and is planning to do a law degree. He hopes to graduate from ANU and contribute to the Australia he now calls home. |  Hani - Lonely GirlHani Abdile is a Somalia poet and writer. At 17 Hani escaped the Somali Civil War traveling through Kenya, Malaysia and Indonesia. She made the desperate voyage by boat to Australia when she was picked by the Navy, taken to Christmas Island and detained for an extended period. It was during this time Hani found solace in writing poetry. She is now a lead member of Writing Through Fences , a published poet. Her first book I Will Rise is published through Writing through Fences. |  Ali - It is NothingAli Omar is 22 years old. He was born in Iraq and is currently a student at Bankstown Senior College. He left Baghdad on 2006 when the civil war began as his life was endangered for religious reasons. Ali and his family traveled to Egypt and lived there for eight years, when he finished high school he was prevented from going to university. Ali's father decided to risk his life traveling by boat to Australia, in the hope of a future for his family. |
 Maria - DadMaria Salad came to Australia 3 years ago by boat from Somalia. Maria spent nearly three years behind bars while she was seeking refuge. She was born and grew up in a country where she would see dead bodies in her daily life; to see bullets and bombs flying over head was common place. All she knew was war. To Maria people would eat when they had something to eat, the only thing they would ask for is for everyone to come home safe. One day, Maria's father went to work, he did not come home. |  Mustafa - Free To SpeakMustafa Mustafa is a young Afghani man who grew up during the war and lived in fear after been threatened several times by the Taliban. He decided to leave loved ones behind and make his way to hunt for a safe world. After a journey by plane and sea he finally made it to Christmas Island where he was detained for uncountable months. Mustafa has now finished his HSC and is planning to do a law degree. He hopes to graduate from ANU and contribute to the Australia he now calls home. |  Nihal - PalestineNihal Mohammed is a 20 years old Palestinian, studying at Bankstown Senior College. A brave young women with a Palestinian soul and Iraqi heart, her journey started when her mother decided to risk her life and her children to travel to Australia by boat. She will never forget those long dark nights on the black ocean when she did not know if she would see morning. "No mother puts their children in a boat unless the water become safer than the land.” |
 Charles - ReligionCharles Guo is 20 years old. His family migrated to Australia in 2010 to escape persecution. They were practicing Fa Lun Gong, which is forbidden in China. Charles is finishing his HSC at Bankstown Senior College and planning to become a journalist. |
© CHRIS PEKEN PHOTOGRAPHY
bottom of page