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A physiotherapy session is underway at a private clinic in Melbourne’s west. But this is no ordinary session.
Therapist Fahima Mohammadi is practising her professional skills after fleeing Afghanistan, thanks to a pilot project that matches highly skilled refugees with jobs.
“I’m very excited with my work here because I use a lot of equipment in exercises, and it’s new for me here. And all of my colleagues are very friendly and kind and they support me.”
Despite holding a diploma in physiotherapy and with five years clinical experience, under strict Taliban rules Ms Mohammadi was prevented from practising in Afghanistan.
“Before I came here and the situation for Afghan women were very strict and especially young women, they don’t have the permission to go out and also work.”
The work ban was a devastating blow for the 37-year-old who is passionate about her chosen career.
“I can help a client that she or he had some limitation and then they recover and they come back to me [and say] ‘oh now we can do our jobs, we can go everywhere and we are thankful from you’. It was, this recovery of my client was a big excitement for me.”
Ms Mohammadi is among millions of Afghan women whose lives changed when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan following the collapse of local security forces. She was in Kabul when it fell on August 15, 2021.
“The day that Taliban came, I was at work and when I heard that Taliban came back I feel that it is the end of all my career and my efforts. I go back to my home and after that I sit at home for four months because even we don’t have the permission to go out. So, it was a very bad situation for me.”
Ms Mohammdi began searching for a way out, applying for multiple jobs online until she finally connected with Talent Beyond Boundaries, or TBB, a global not-for-profit organisation that connects skilled refugees with employers.
“I applied to Talent Beyond Boundaries and I registered to catalogue. After that it was a good opportunity for me and they respond me back that we select you as a candidate. And I feel very happy because it was the first response for me and at that moment that I feel very bad.”
The United Nations projects the number of refugees, returnees, internally displaced and stateless people has risen to 130 million this year.
Around half those are trained and of working age, according to TBB Co-Director for Australia and New Zealand Louna Ghawi.
“Refugees are skilled people, but happen to be in a very difficult circumstances stuck in a host countries where they have zero legal rights to work or to live with dignity. No one around the world collected the data of refugees as a skilled people. So, to enable us to capture this data, we leveraged technology and we built what we call the talent catalogue. Basically, like LinkedIn for refugees where any refugee around the world can access this data base and upload their CVs, put some information about their experience and this is basically untapped pool of talent.”
Since it started in 2021, the TBB pilot project has assisted more than 500 applicants and their families into Australia, and it’s growing globally, as Ms Ghawi explains.
“The initiative started in Australia, which is something really very proud to see – the Australian government pioneering the solution, but also now we’ve seen other governments joining the momentum. So, we have TBB set-up programs in Canada, UK and European countries as well like Ireland and Belgium. And we are expanding to other countries like the US and hopefully soon to New Zealand. And Talent Beyond boundaries thinking to build programs in 27 countries by 2027 to enable more refugees to be able to access skilled migration.”
To work, the scheme relies on the support of local employers.
In Fahima Mohmmadi’s case that person is Steve Woollard, the CEO of Neuro Rehab Allied Health Network.
“We work in the disability space, so Allied Health provider for people with a disability, more specifically a neurological disability. And there has been a shortage of Allied Health staff for a long time. So yeah, recruiting into this space is a difficult process.“
So working with TBB, Mr Woollard’s company selected the best candidate for a physiotherapy role, as Ms Ghawi explains.
“Steve is a champion. He looked at not only to fill out a skill shortage but also helping a woman in risk. She was trapped in a situation where she can’t move anywhere and she’s very skilled. So, Steve recognised the impact and wanted to make a humanitarian touch into the recruitment. So, we’re very lucky to have someone championing the cause. And to be honest, we are hoping to have a lot of people like Steve because this is how we scale up. We need the private sector to come together and learning from Steve’s experience.”
However, Ms Mohammadi admits the process of getting out of Afghanistan was never going to be easy.
“My visa was just for me. And so, because I was a young woman and I don’t have permission to go alone, I afraid from that the Taliban will cancel my visa because when they saw my visa that it is a work visa, they said that ‘no never you can go out from Afghanistan’ because in Afghanistan they didn’t let a woman to work. It was a very challenging moment for me, and I was nervous with it.”
Despite her concerns, Ms Mohammadi flew to Iran with her mother and brother and from there she came to Australia.
But even now her trials are not over, as her new employer Mr Woollard explains:
“The Taliban didn’t let her to renew her licence. So, a lot of our work is actually out in the community and traveling out to people. So, we are having to arrange the job at the moment is just to only see some clients in the clinic. So, gradually as we get her licence back, we’ll get her into a full role, which we are happy and we will help to support that process as well.”
Ms Mohammadi is living in a serviced apartment while she finds more permanent accommodation.
And while she is understandably proud to be working again in her profession, she says there are new challenges ahead.
“I have a lot of plans, a lot of dreams for my future because in Australia we have the freedom to have a good opportunities in every aspect of our lives. But I think about my family because they’re there and also they are under the limitation that they have in Afghanistan. I hope to one day I can bring my family here because we are very close to each other and it’s very hard for me to live alone.”
