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Halima's courage helps others unite

When Halima Mohamud, 54, arrived in Australia from Somalia in 2003 with her four children, she never thought she would be fighting for her life two years later.

‘I was seriously ill with a blood disorder at the time and the doctor told me that I had a 15 per cent chance of surviving,’ Halima said. ‘I was scared but I said that I will just do my best.’

Halima received various treatments before her condition became stable. After a few months of recovery, Halima was referred to CRS Australia via Centrelink for help to manage her pain and seek suitable employment.

'Back home in Somalia, I worked as a Member of Parliament for more than 10 years and was well known and respected in the community,’ Halima said. ‘Since I came to Australia, it has been very hard for me to find work and now with my condition, I felt lost and hopeless.’

Her rehabilitation consultant, Shannon, reviewed Halima’s situation and organised physiotherapy and hydrotherapy treatment to assist her with managing her pain.

‘Halima endured quite a lot of hardship through surviving her medical condition, but she didn’t give up,’ said Shannon. ‘We looked at what area of work she would be interested in, and given her strong background in community development, helped her  to enrol in a Diploma of Community Welfare Work to enhance and improve her capacity to work for community and welfare organisations.’

Halima said, ‘Completing the Diploma allowed me to identify the social and support needs of African women living around the West Sunshine area. It made me understand what I could do for the local community and raised my self-esteem and confidence. I remember when CRS Australia asked me a very good question: Why not you Halima? And I thought, well, why not me?’

In August 2010 Halima set up the African Women’s Sewing Enterprise with Green Collect to provide women from different African backgrounds the opportunity to produce and sell handmade items using recycled materials with profits returned back to them.

‘The enterprise has successfully united women from Sudanese, Somali and Ethiopian backgrounds to learn sewing skills and gain income to support their families. More importantly, it has provided them with opportunities to gain confidence, build strong relationships and get involved with the broader community,’ Halima said.

Co-founder and Chief Executive of Green Collect, Sally Quinn was inspired by Halima’s vision and organised for its sewing instructor to help provide training and guidance to participants.

‘It has been incredibly rewarding working with Halima on this project. Her strength and courage, especially when things are hard, inspire us all to keep going and believe all things are possible,’ Sally said.