Finding home through friendship

How Australian Red Cross Connected Families helped Azifa, Afra and Zahra feel more at home.

Azifa, Afra and Zahra are all from Afghanistan. They grew up in different cities and followed different paths – Azifa is a disability counsellor, Afra is a fashion designer and Zahra studied English. Having left Afghanistan at different times, they each found safety as they began rebuilding their lives in Australia.

On the other side of the world from their home country, these three friends never could have imagined that one day they’d be sitting here on a sunny day in Canberra, laughing together and bonding over their shared love of fashion. But here they are, having been brought together through activities – including an all-female swimming session – organised and hosted by Australian Red Cross.

Since meeting each other for the first time, Azifa, Afra and Zahra have attended English classes together, as well as an employment workshop hosted by Australian Red Cross, where they worked on their resumes. Not only are they rebuilding their lives in Australia, but like hundreds of other refugees and migrants across the country, they are also finding their place in their new communities with the support of Australian Red Cross.

“Coming into a new community, seeking safety – you can feel quite isolated, and there’s not that feeling of belonging right away,” says Australian Red Cross Director of National Migration Operations Jessi Claudianos. “We support people to feel like they belong. To feel connected to the community around them. Because we need that now more than ever.”

Finding community in uncertain times

As of December 2025, there were over 123 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, the highest number ever recorded. Of those people, 41.6 million are refugees, driven from their homes by conflict, disaster, violence or human rights abuses. (UNHCR Global Trends 2025 report, published in June 2026.)  As more people than ever are forced to flee their homes, Australian Red Cross is devoted to helping people who are seeking safety and security to feel welcome in their new communities.

This inclusive approach is at the heart of Connected Families, an Australian Red Cross offering that is part of our government-supported Humanitarian Settlement Program and wider migration work across the country.

Co-designed by the communities taking part in it, Connected Families supports migrant communities to identify how they would like to participate in community life. In doing so, it not only helps people who have recently arrived in Australia feel more confident and connected in their new homes, but also strengthens cross-cultural understanding and celebrates the value that diverse communities bring to Australian society.

Drawing on our longstanding connections with community organisations, Australian Red Cross acts as a convenor, bringing together newly settled people, local institutions and businesses to help achieve those goals.

“The beauty of these programs is it’s the community deciding what is best for them. We're there to empower them. We're building the foundations, the connections, but it's really the community making those decisions,” explains Jessi. “It might be wanting to learn skills that will help create employment pathways. It might be cooking classes or swimming sessions. It’s really led by the community and what they want to achieve.”

Building confidence, one splash at a time

Reihaneh is a Community Navigator with the Australian Red Cross Humanitarian Settlement Program and Connected Families. She works alongside a number of migrant communities in Canberra, including the Afghan community, which Azifa belongs to. A big part of Reihaneh’s role is organising activities that help newly arrived migrants build connections while exploring their new city.

“Meeting and connecting with others can make a real difference when someone first arrives in a new country. It helps people feel supported, understood and less isolated during a time that can feel overwhelming,” says Reihaneh. “Attending activities in the community can also build confidence and a sense of reassurance that you’re not alone in this process.”

One of the activities Reihaneh organised recently was the swimming session, which Azifa and Afra attended. Recognising how much Australian life revolves around the water – from afternoons at the local pool to beach trips on scorching summer days – the community chose swimming as an activity they wanted to experience.

Samer Kamal, Venue Manager at Canberra's Stromlo Leisure Centre, was happy to open the facility after hours so the group could enjoy the session in a culturally appropriate environment. With an all-female team of staff on duty, everyone was able to feel safe and comfortable in the water.

“I understand how important it is for any community to learn how to swim and be confident around water,” says Samer, who is a former competitive swimmer himself. “And these families, they have their kids being born and raised in Australia, so it can encourage their kids to learn how to swim and be safe around water at an early age.”

Azifa had never visited a swimming pool before attending the session.

“At first, I was feeling stressed because I was scared about getting into the water, I didn’t know how deep it was,” she says. “My daughter was scared too. But after some time, we were really enjoying the swimming and I was so happy. I’m thankful to Australian Red Cross staff who were there supporting us. It was a new experience, and I really loved it.”

Afra felt similarly, but once she got into the pool, her fears melted away.

Hope for the future

When Azifa, her husband and two children arrived in Australia in April 2026, she felt stressed and uncertain. Unable to speak English, everyday tasks felt daunting. But after being welcomed by Australian Red Cross through the Humanitarian Settlement Program, she felt relieved to know there was a plan in place and people who spoke her language ready to help her navigate life in a new country. Since then, Azifa has attended many Australian Red Cross Connected Families events, where she sees her new friends and enjoys meeting other people in the community.

She has big hopes for her family’s future here – she’d love to study so she can begin working as a counsellor again, and she hopes that one day soon, she can buy her children laptops for school.

“I'm hopeful that in the future I will have enough money to cover all the expenses in my life, for my family, for the things my kids are asking for,” says Azifa.

As she works towards these goals, supported by her new friends and community, she is enjoying discovering the small details that make Australia unique.

“One of the things I love about Canberra is when I see sheep out of the city, they are in the farms and not limited to a small space. This is amazing because in Afghanistan, the sheep don’t have much space, and a farmer has to be there to take care of them the whole time. But when I see sheep in Canberra, they’re free. It’s really amazing.

“They have a good life, and they don’t feel hungry. And I love that.”