Sangee’s story: Building a new life against the odds

My name is Sangee. I’m the head chef of Sangee’s Kitchen and part of the ASC community.

I arrived in Australia as a single mum with three children. I had fled danger in my home country and came to Australia in search of safety and a new start.

I came to the Asylum Seekers Centre for help and support. Adapting to a new country is difficult, especially on your own and with three kids to look after. The ASC helped us settle in and feel a little more at home.

They guided me through school applications for my children, helped them learn English, organised tours around Sydney, and introduced us to the community. I made new friends and felt happier in my new surroundings.

But I still faced so many challenges. I had to wait for my working rights to be approved. When they did, I had to overcome the fact I had no local experience.

Thanks to my case manager at the ASC, I received my cooking certification and have been able to use it ever since, adding more certifications over the years. I started to build a career in the area I love. I worked at Colombo Social in Newtown, before moving onto another restaurant.

With the help of the ASC and the community, I was building a life with my family, enjoying my work, and seeing my children begin to thrive in their new home.

Then COVID hit.

Everything stopped. My casual work ended immediately. There was no work, no Centrelink, no support of any kind. My kids were sent home from school, but without laptops to continue their studies.

Once again, the ASC was there. They delivered a food parcel and a laptop to help with my daughter’s education. They wrote a letter so school fees I couldn’t afford to pay were waived. They provided financial support to help pay my rent.

I know these things can sometimes feel small. But they make such a massive impact.

During the pandemic, we only ate once a day. Without the food parcel, it would have been even less.

My daughter dreamed of going to university, but the pandemic put that all at risk. By providing a laptop and helping waive school fees, the ASC helped keep her dreams alive.

They kept us in our home when we were at risk of being on the street.

Despite this, so much that I had built disappeared. So I started my journey again.

I cooked some food and shared it with my neighbours, who liked it. I cooked more and shared it with my Tamil community. They missed home and wanted more.

In 2021, I started my business, cooking real Tamil food and selling it to people in Sydney. Sangee’s Kitchen was born.

But this is not a simple story with a bow tied on the ending. After COVID, our landlord sold the house, forcing us to move.

Our new home was shared with another couple, and for two years we were sleeping in the hallway. The house became infested with rats, which ate through my daughter’s school books while she was studying for her HSC.

But through this hardship, the ASC is there. Their support makes me feel stronger. It makes me feel that no matter what, this is my home.

They build communities and rebuild lives. I have made friends there and enjoyed new experiences like swimming classes. They help take away my stress.

Their support means my oldest daughter is now studying for a bachelor of psychology at university.

She has studied so hard, attended every single class, and travels one and a half hours a day, often late at night. It might be hard, but she is living her dream. The ASC helped open this door by providing a supporting letter to secure a scholarship.

But again, this is not a fairytale. Her future is uncertain, and she can’t work to support her studies because she’s on an international student visa.

As for me, my business has continued to grow. Last year I got commercial kitchen training to be able to bring my cooking to restaurants. Just a few weeks ago, I hosted a pop-up at Baba’s Place in Marrickville.

But I am still in limbo with no permanent visa. I have health issues, including diabetes, and have to cover the medical costs on top of everything else.

I continue to fight. And I recognise the huge contribution the ASC has made by giving back. I run cooking classes at the Centre and my youngest daughter has volunteered there.

I want to change the system for people in my position, and spoke at the Senate inquiry into poverty in 2022 to try and improve things across Australia.

Despite the system being stacked against people like me, it is the support of the community that has allowed me to rebuild time and time again – and to give back to others in the same position.