AUSTRALIA | The Bread & Butter Project has reached a milestone 100th graduate, helping refugees form a new life in Australia.
Twenty-six refugees have reached the next milestone in their ongoing journey to a build new life in Australia, following the latest graduation ceremony for The Bread & Butter Project.
Held at the Surry Hills headquarters of long-time corporate supporter, Canva, in late November, the ceremony acknowledged each trainee’s accreditation as a fully-fledged baker, following a six-month traineeship with Australia’s first social enterprise bakery.
The event saw the trainees receive their TAFE certification and baker’s caps in front of a crowd of over 150 of The Bread & Butter Project’s staff, volunteers, donors, partners and family members.
In addition, this year’s ceremony not only saw the bakery’s largest ever cohort of graduates, but also marked the programme’s 100th graduate – Haseebullah, a 27-year-old refugee from Afghanistan.
Arriving in Australia three years ago, Haseebullah’s story is one of perseverance and courage in the face of incredible adversity.
Haseebullah grew up in Afghanistan, however when the Taliban took over the country in the 1990s, his family escaped to Pakistan.
“Our family stayed in Pakistan for 10 years, and we only returned home to Afghanistan when it was safe again, once a new government came into power and the Taliban left,” explained Haseebullah.
“However, the Taliban returned a few years ago and separated us from our family. We had a big family, all living together, and when the Taliban came back, we had to escape to wherever we could go."
Two of his brothers were offered safe passage to the United States with their families, while Haseebullah and two other brothers had the chance to find refuge in Australia. His two sisters remain in Afghanistan in the hope they can one day join their other family members.
Haseebullah now lives with his brothers in Sydney where the three housemates share the cooking at home. He loves to cook and has begun baking bread for the family.
He was introduced to The Bread & Butter Project through his brother Kashif, who joined the programme a month prior to him and felt it would also be a great opportunity for Haseebullah.
As a trainee, Haseebullah received hands-on training in the company’s Marrickville bakery and a TAFE Certificate II in Baking, as well as intensive English language tutoring.
When asked what was most difficult about arriving as a refugee in a new country, Haseebullah identified learning a new language as his greatest challenge.
Together, Haseebullah and Kashif have enjoyed learning new skills and are committed to improving their English and their qualifications to make the most of this new chapter in their lives. Haseebullah is now taking further English lessons at TAFE, with the goal of fast-tracking his communication.
Outside of the bakery and his TAFE studies, Haseebullah says he is enjoying the beautiful natural landscapes in Australia.
“I’ve fallen in love with the ocean, which we don’t have in Afghanistan. I love going to the beach with my brother and friends,” he added.
As the 100th graduate of The Bread & Butter Project, Haseebullah was proud to join his fellow trainees for the joyous graduation ceremony, which marked the end of a long journey for the graduates.
Many who pass through the programme have escaped an environment of political upheaval and conflict in their respective homelands – including war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iraq, and Iran – in the process leaving behind family, friends and diverse careers and backgrounds for a new country and a safer life.
Following the successful completion of their traineeship with The Bread & Butter Project, Eva Rabanal, CEO of The Bread & Butter Project, said the social enterprise assists the newly professional artisan bakers to find employment in Australia's hospitality industry.
“The best way to prevent social isolation, create opportunity and alleviate poverty for refugees in Australia is through steady employment,” said Rabanal.
“A secure job helps our graduates build a sense of belonging in the Australian community, on top of their new-found English and baking skills. We’re proud of the fact that since we commenced in 2013, almost all our baker graduates are sustainably employed and have been able to discontinue welfare support.”
She said following the graduation of the latest and largest cohort, The Bread & Butter Project has begun working to help graduates find gainful employment, and has asked any bakeries or hospitality businesses seeking highly motivated and professional bakers to get in contact, in order for the programme to assist them in securing suitable roles.
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