Vulnerable workers focus
A RWANDAN refugee has made a happy life for himself in Cairns helping new refugee arrivals on their settlement journey.
At the age of six Max Ishimwe’s life changed dramatically when his family was forced into hiding to escape the Rwandan genocide.
His journey took him, his mother and his brother and two sisters through the slums of Kampala, Uganda before eventually arriving in Cairns in 2007 under the Humanitarian Settlement Program.
Today, Max works for Centacare, acting as a relatable face for new settlers.
“It’s something I’ve always dreamt of doing because the first time I came here, it was the same experience,” he said.
“To see someone with my mother’s name on the banner saying ‘Welcome to Australia’, it changed my life.”
Having spent more than 10 years living in Cairns, Max wants others to be able to see it as a home the way he does.
“We’re here to live in a new place,” he said.