Adjusting to a new way of life
Given the choice of eight countries to resettle in, Bhutanese refugee Nanda Pradhan chose New Zealand for its family-friendly lifestyle and agricultural roots – a reminder of home.
He and his family came to New Zealand three years ago, settling in Palmerston North.
Originally from Bhutan, he spent 22 years in a refugee camp in Nepal. It has framed many key events; his marriage to wife Nanu, and the birth of their two children.
Pradhan likes the freedom of New Zealand and the benefits for his children, but he misses the self-sustaining life of home.
‘‘In some cases for us it’s hard to adjust,’’ he said. ‘‘There are certain things I miss and these things can’t be replaced.
‘‘But yes there are so many things I enjoy, the New Zealand Government has accepted us and given us a home. But I feel that there has to be an end now to the refugee crisis.’’
Pradhan works night shift for a courier company, which took some adjusting to, having been a farmer in Bhutan. His wife Nanu works for a cleaning company.
Pradhan’s family left Bhutan in 1993 due to ethnic cleansing. His parents had been threatened by police, so his father fled with the family to Nepal, for fear of being killed or imprisoned.
‘‘They have tortured, imprisoned people, they raped the women, all sorts of inhuman treatment,’’ Pradhan said. ‘‘You can’t imagine what they did.’’
Time in the camp was ‘‘dreadful’’, with no power or basic needs of life.
Unable to return home, eventually Pradhan was offered eight different countries to go to. His brother went to the United States, but he chose New Zealand.
‘‘I thought OK, New Zealand is something relevant to what I had in the past: a country that depends on agriculture, not very populated, peaceful, has a clean environment and is a nice place to raise the family.’’
Pradhan said to find work in New Zealand, refugees needed to become skilled, which was impossible in a refugee camp.
His son Namit, 7, is at Takaro School and 18-year-old daughter Namita, who is a dancer, has just finished at Awatapu College and plans to study at UCOL next year.
He encourages a mix of Western and Eastern culture for his children.
He found there were was some negative feeling toward refugees, but Pradhan believed it was due to a lack of understanding. Refugees weren’t there to take Kiwis’ share. ‘‘People should be given clear information about why the refugees are coming.’’