Issah

__ABOUT ME__ Hello everyone. My name is Issah I am 21 years old and I am the oldest son in family of four brothers. I come from the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, but I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Today I am going to tell you about my life in general. I was born in a village called Mwayenga. Mwayenga is a small village near Uvira. Uvira is the second capital city of the South Kivu province after Bukavu. I have lived in Mwayenga about 10 years then I left it and go to live in Uvira from 2000 to 2004. I obliged to leave my country and go live in a neighbouring country Malawi. Why I left Congo the Democratic Republic of, and went to live in other country? It was the civil war that was not ending in the South Kivu province since 1997 until 2003.

I lived in Malawi about seven years from 2004 to 2011. I tried to work hardest jobs like building houses and made a clay local bricks it's called Raw Clay Bricks. These are the really difficult jobs and I did its about three years even in the winter season. I left these jobs in 2009 and go to look an experience in other areas. I applied at a small butchery in the beginning of 2009, but they didn't reply to me. When I missed that job I came back to my former jobs and start doing its for other two weeks.

After two weeks I started working in a small shop in Lilongwe capital city of Malawi. I worked in about three months then I left it because of the job that I applied for, they replied back to me that they need workers. I also left working in that shop because of low payments. I worked in the butchery like one year and three months. I obliged to go back in the Camp tried to apply for the resettlement in United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). While I'm applying for the resettlement I got news from Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) that they need people who will study Bricklaying, I felt like it was a miracles to me when I heard that news. On the next day I caught there on time and I was the first one to register my name maybe I can get a chance of study a Bricklaying course. There were like hundred people who went to register they names. Some of them are the one who was over twenty-five years old while me was only twenty years old. When the result come, my name was selected for the students who will going to study a Bricklaying Course. We passed like thirty people when other seventy people failed. I took six months for studying a Bricklaying Course from October 2010 to March 2011 then I get a certificate, now I’m a Bricklayer. After that I worked three months in Mwenda-Yekha's group at Dzaleka Refugee Camp before I arrived in Australia.

I arrived in Australia six months ago with four of my brothers. When I arrived in Australia, I really wanted to study English, how my ideas have changed. Now I want get a job. Maybe it's because I have been in one class. I would like to tell students that it is not always good to think about moving to other class as too soon. Study hard and you will move when you ready. I believe men find school difficult for them, when they think about money or about their life; I am a one of them. However, I cannot lose hope about school. The things I like and other things which I don't like are: first of all I don't like to talk very much because I like to be quiet and staying in a safe place. I don't like winter because it makes me feel tired. I like summer. In the future after, I finish my education I would like to become the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Thanks to Mary Hill for having the time to teach us, because from her I learnt more about Computers. I didn't know how to make a power point or to introduce myself in front of students, but I try to do it. Have a long life and long love to other students. Thank you for your time Mary Hill.

Our Class Excursion to Wynnum The Monkey and The Crocodile - Issah.ppt
 * MY WORK ...**

Write to Issah