Welcome Wins with Kayo: From sleeping rough to helping others

Welcome Wins with Kayo: From sleeping rough to thriving and helping others

Every story at the Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC) begins with welcome in action. A single spark of kindness that can transform a life.

For Kayo* that spark happened in 2023 after she was forced to flee her home country. 

Arriving in Australia, she and her son spent two difficult weeks sleeping rough on the streets. 

In her darkest moment, a compassionate stranger gave her $50 and directed her to the ASC.

When Kayo walked through our Centre doors, the casework team immediately got to work, securing emergency accommodation, food, and clothes. It was the first of many “welcome wins”.

Kayo began the courageous journey of rebuilding her life.

“This place is my better home”

Kayo immersed herself in the ASC community, finding both healing and connection. 

Aside from accessing our employment services, legal referrals, and on-site health clinic, she also found a second family.

She joined our Lunch & Learn program and sewing classes. 

Kayo found a genuine haven where she could relax and breathe…and be strong again.

“This place is my home, my house… I call it better home,” Kayo shares. 

“If I feel frustrated, if I feel traumatised about what I’ve been through… I just dress up and then I come in. Once I step in, I feel relieved.”

She shares her deep gratitude to the staff, supporters and volunteers at the ASC. 

“They are angels… It’s only angels that will do the things you (ASC) do for us. 

“Where we come from, it’s never like that. 

“People don’t even care whether you drop dead or not… 

“But here, everything is different. ASC cares. Once I lift my hands, they are ready; they are there to lift me up higher.”

Determination and heart in every step

Driven to create a secure future for her son, Kayo also worked closely with our employment team on resume writing, job applications and digital skills. 

She secured several jobs including one at one of our employer partners, the International Convention Centre (ICC). She recalls fondly how an ASC staff surprised her during the interview day at ICC.

“She (ASC staff) said, I’ve come to support you! She didn’t have to do that but she was there.”

Kayo’s skills and warmth won the interviewer over on the spot!

Her path to employment highlights her incredible drive and the power of side-by-side support. The ASC continues to walk alongside her highs and lows. 

She remembers how the staff cheered when she enrolled at TAFE.

She also recalls how the staff stood by her when she experienced racism. 

“I would come here. And I would be crying and they would hold me and tell me, ‘No, don’t give up. You are amazing’ 

“We’ll help get you another job where you feel safe.”

Extending the welcome as a Health Navigator

Three years later, Kayo and her son are no longer just surviving, they are thriving. 

But the true beauty of a welcome win is how it ripples outward. 

Today, Kayo is extending that very same welcome to newly arrived community members through ASC’s unique Health Navigator program headed by Health Manager Emily Cumming.

Kayo guides newcomers through overwhelming healthcare systems, connecting them with dentists, physiotherapists, and specialists and helping them access the medical care they need. She recalls how they helped a community member needed hearing support after surviving a bomb blast. Having walked in their shoes, Kayo’s heart leads the way:

“You can’t sleep at night… I know what it takes not to sleep at night. I was in that problem before… BP rises. 

“I love it (being a health navigator), and I’m glad that I could be a part of that program.”

Her motivation to pay her welcome forward reflects her remarkable selflessness:

“I told myself that these people are angels. I am in a good place. The people after me (newcomers) are going through what I’ve gone through and would need help.”

By guiding others through their darkest days, Kayo has transformed from someone seeking safety into someone who actively creates it. 

That is the ultimate Welcome Win: opening our doors to one person empowers them to open the door for so many others.

Kayo’s story is part of Welcome Wins, the Asylum Seekers Centre’s impact series highlighting how small acts of welcome, access to essential services, and community can be life-changing for people seeking asylum. It is made possible by people like you who believe in compassion, dignity, and opportunity.

*Name has been changed for confidentiality.