Nurul’s story: Finding a family at ASC Auburn

Nurul with her daughter

Welcome at Auburn

The first thing Nurul notices when she walks into the Asylum Seekers Centre’s Auburn hub is its warmth. 

“Everyone is just smiling all the time,” she notes. 

“They make you feel at ease!” 

A former doctor in her home country, Nurul came to Australia seeking  safety with her two children. Starting again has not been easy. Like many people seeking asylum, she arrived without established networks and with her professional qualifications unrecognised.  

Through the Asylum Seekers Centre, Nurul connected with employment support, crisis casework, and family support. But at the Auburn hub she found something just as important: community.

A home away from home

“When I need a community to help me to raise the children, so they don’t feel like they were left out or they don’t have another relative in here [Australia], ASC Auburn brings me that comfort,” Nurul explains. 

“Despite being different in physical, you can be entertained by someone at Auburn…whatever your problem.”

For Nurul and her children, the Auburn hub has become a place of belonging – where staff, volunteers, and families build connections that feel like extended family. 

Her children adore Jude, the ASC’s Community Connector volunteer. 

 “Jude loves to greet everyone,” Nurul says with a smile. “We feel like there is a family, like a grandmother is there.” 

“The kids will come to her and try to get her attention!”

They are just as fond of Meg, ASC’s Community Participation Coordinator. 

“If I say to them, I wanna go ASC Auburn without bringing them, they will be super mad to me,” Nurul laughs. “Because they love Meg like a big sister.”

These relationships create something powerful for families who have often experienced isolation and uncertainty: trust. 

“You know, it’s so difficult to trust people because sometimes people will judge us,” Nurul explains. “[But] when you meet people [at Auburn] people know that everyone has their own story.” “That creates a secure, safe place for everyone gathering.” 

Lifelines to stability and peace

The ASC’s Auburn hub is also designed to support families in practical ways. Childcare, introduced in 2024 through a partnership with Goodstart Early Learning, allows parents to participate in programs while their children learn and play nearby. 

“I feel peace because my kids is out there playing with the childcare staff.”

For Nurul, the activities at Auburn offer not only practical knowledge and skills, but moments to breathe. A beach safety workshop helped her overcome a long-held fear of water.

“This is a good thing because I’m scared of water…So this gave me information and knowledge and also helps me as a mum to help my children to be safe in the beach.”

Wellness sessions are another favourite for Nurul. 

“Mothers, most of us, not really do exercise at home because we are already struggling with the kids and house chores…. It’s a good opportunity for stretching and learn how to remember, how to take care of our own self.”

During these sessions, Nurul describes a unique relief and a stillness she calls the “peace moment.” 

“You can let out your heartfelt [feelings] and not be judged by anyone.”

“I found a family in there,” Nurul says. “Not only the staff, but lots of good people.” 

These connections have proven to be a lifeline during dark and difficult times. 

When a fire tragically damaged her home, Nurul turned to the community she had built at Auburn. A friend she had met at the hub, Shanna*, immediately extended a helping hand.

“She offer me, ‘come, come to my home. I will take care of your children.

You just rest.’”

Looking toward the future

It is this network of support that has allowed her to keep her “big dreams” alive. One day she hopes to become a practitioner helping others heal from trauma.

As she works toward finishing her studies, Nurul is buoyed by inspiration and hope. 

“ASC changed our family life… it’s not like a bit of hope, it’s a lot of hope!” she declares. “Because I know if I have a problem, I know there is ASC can lift you up. There is someone that will stand up for you.”

*Free childcare is provided at our Auburn hub through a partnership with Goodstart Early Learning