The picturesque bohemian suburb of Warrandyte, in Melbourne’s north-eastern outskirts, became the unlikely home to a family of six escaping violence in Myanmar back in 2022. Parents Nang and Muang and their three children were sponsored by a group of volunteers who, working with the organization Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA), harnessed local solidarity to help create a safe new home for the family and learn about their rich culture. More than two years on, Nang and CRSA volunteers Hanh, Greg and Laura reflect on the power of communities, new friendships and future projects.
Nang
We left Myanmar because of the civil war there. First, we went to Malaysia. I was 16 and travelled, without papers, with a group of 12 people, mostly young. It was a very difficult journey. It took more than two weeks to get there, on foot, on fishing boats and trucks. We had to walk a lot, sometimes throughout the night. It was very rough. I was transported in a truck for pigs. Some people got it worse. They were put in refrigerated containers and some of them died. We are lucky that we survived. I remember arriving in Malaysia without shoes.
My husband Muang left Myanmar when he was 17. The first time he was intercepted by the police at the Thai border and sent back. Then he tried again and made it to Malaysia.
One of the biggest fears living in Malaysia without papers was to be arrested by the police. It was like a ticking timebomb, walking on the streets, doing your job without a passport, without a working visa. You could be arrested at any second.
We spent 16 years in Malaysia.
In 2022, CRSA told us we were going to Australia, to Melbourne. We didn’t even know where Australia was. A week before we arrived, we had a video call with the community group that was going to sponsor us. They gave us a lot of information and told us not to worry, that everything was going to be ok.
I still remember when, as soon as we got off the plane, we were greeted by the community group, they had banners that read: “Welcome to Australia!” They had jackets for us and food. They were always asking if there was anything we needed.
The kids were very excited about all the animals in Warrandyte. The house where we stayed at the start had rabbits, chickens and ducks. There were also lots of birds, which we didn’t get to see in Malaysia.
Life changed a lot. Every morning, we got to wake up to very fresh air and we would all go out for walks to listen to the birds chirping. Everybody knew our story and would come and say hi. They knew we could not speak English very well but there was a lot of willingness to help and learn about us, from us. I was quite surprised about that.
The community group was incredibly supportive from the start. We received a lot of help from everyone. We had never received help like this from anyone before. It really made us feel like at home and everybody felt like family to us.
Now we have a car and a bank card for the first time. We can access doctors. The kids can access proper education and be safe. We don’t have to worry about the police.
We are very grateful that we are able to live together and be safe as a family. We are very lucky, particularly compared to many other people back home in Myanmar. My sister’s home was bombed twice in the last two years and other friends and family went through similar things.
Life now is pretty good. We are working a lot. Muang is working at a restaurant, he is a very good cook. The kids are growing and doing very well at school. We are the lucky ones.
Nang and her family at their home in Warrandyte, in the north-eastern outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. 8 April 2025. ©Anu Kumar/Amnesty International.
Hanh (sponsor)
I had heard about refugee sponsorship on Facebook, and it sounded interesting, something I could get involved in. It appealed to me given my own refugee background. I experienced how difficult it is coming to a new country, so I wanted to get involved to help make those challengers easier. I also felt the Australian government should be more welcoming and provide more help to those caught in warfare.
Together with Greg we posted a message on the Warrandyte community page asking for people who might be interested and, just like that, we started a group.
There were six of us in the group, including a work-from-home mum, a psychologist and a schoolteacher. It was a very diverse group, with different skills, and that really helped get things done. Also, Warrandyte is a great community; people like to help others. We all think we have the power to change things and that really helped. People quickly got involved and started donating things and funds.
It really makes you feel that not everything is lost.
We all feel very privileged for the opportunity to have met Nang and her family. We have learned so much from them and their culture and, through this experience, we have all created a new community. Muang and Nang are very good cooks and very generous. When I was very sick, they used to send me some lovely home-made meals. We would always share tips on best ways to cook food from Myanmar and Vietnam (where Hanh is originally from).
My sister saw what we were doing in Warrandyte and started another group in Melbourne. I’ve been thinking that we should start again and sponsor a new family. Every one of us has the power to do good.
Nang and Muang built a life in Australia because they worked really, really hard. They embraced everything that was thrown at them. We are very proud of what they have achieved.
Greg (sponsor)
Working with CRSA was key. They really helped and prepared us with various trainings so we were always clear as to what the family needed and what we needed to do. Also, the whole Warrandyte community, which is very strong, got behind the project. People were fantastic. Lots of people donated things, funds, and a couple of local celebrities also got involved.
We made sure we always kept everybody informed and up to date with what was happening. At one point the Facebook group we opened for the family had around 800 people!
Australia in recent years has had some very controversial, deplorable asylum seeker policies. When we first started, we were wondering what people would say; if we were going to get some negative voices from the community about refugees. But the reception has been great. This was not a total surprise because we know we have a great community. But the response was so overwhelmingly positive. I think this is because they all understood the bravery that people have in order to leave their country to go somewhere else, to try and start a new life. The attitude coming from the community was the opposite to what we had seen at times coming from the government.
Being involved in sponsorship has been very rewarding, very fulfilling. We feel the closeness and have learned so much about other people’s stories, backgrounds and culture – particularly the food!
We were very, very lucky to be working with them. We have created a bond that will last forever.
Nang and her family at their home in Warrandyte, in the north-eastern outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. 8 April 2025. ©Anu Kumar/Amnesty International.
Laura (sponsor)
I remember I got involved because I saw the Facebook post. Sponsorship has been great because it was very much at the grassroots level of helping. It was very tangible for everyone: Finding doctors, schools for the kids, interpreters.
When things were being organized, I remember speaking with people and one thing that struck me the most is that people saw that whatever they were donating, whatever service, whatever they gave, they could see where it was going. It was all very direct. This family was coming to live here, they were very present, and the community could see them.
I look back in amazement at how much was achieved in a very short space of time. There have been aspects of hard work, but you look back and you realize that you had the capacity to do it. It gives you a sense of how much community actually means and what it means to be in an environment where people are happy to help and are open minded enough to help and learn.