By Margaret Maccoll
Sri Lankan refugee Siva Kumar came to Noosa to enjoy a short homestay with a family in 2013. When the family offered him an extended stay, he accepted, remaining with them for about a year before forging his own future, gaining employment and, seven months ago, taking over a restaurant, Raj Indian Restaurant, in Noosaville.
Despite his five-year settlement in the area he remains on a temporary visa and his future in Australia will depend on a court decision in August.
While he awaits his fate this week, during Refugee Week, he offered his restaurant to Buddies Refugee Support Group to host a fundraising dinner on Wednesday to help other refugees.
Siva’s journey to Australia was not an easy one, nor one he chose lightly.
After his brother was murdered he said he became a target of a group of people bent on causing him harm during a time of civil unrest in the country.
Siva worked as a chef in Columbo. He moved to another city to avoid the violence and worked as a butcher. “They tried to kill me,” he said. “I ended up in hospital.”
His father and his family told him he should leave in order to survive.
His journey to Australia from the capital of Columbo was not as he envisaged, only discovering before boarding that his 14-day boat ride to freedom was aboard a very small, overcrowded fishing vessel.
“There were 45-50 people in a fishing boat,” he said. The sea was rough with waves crashing over the boat and there was little food or water though he admitted he was too seasick to eat much of the time.
“It was so terrifying,” he said. “I thought we were not going to make it. Every day I prayed to God.”
The boat made land on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, 2750km northwest of Perth. From there he was placed in detention on Christmas Island, Perth, Cairns and Brisbane.
Buddies Refugee support group hosted the fundraising dinner at Siva’s restaurant on Wednesday to celebrate Refugee Week and raise money to assist refugees. Guest speakers discussed homestay programs in which Australian families host refugees in their homes. For more information visit www.refugeebuddies.org/events
