By Luke Voogt
Sitting at home collecting benefits was never an option for Belmont resident and Iranian refugee Kazem Safikhani.
“I have to work outside,” the 38-year-old told the Indy this week.
“I’ve worked all my life. I’ve never asked my mum or dad for money.”
Kazem said he worked in the construction industry and ran a taxi company consisting of 50 cabs in Iran.
But he and his wife’s decision to become Christian forced them to flee the country because the Iranian Government severely persecutes Christians, especially recent converts.
Eventually he made the trip to Australia from Indonesia by boat with his wife and two then-infant daughters, enduring 12 days of scorching heat and storms.
He arrived on 20 December 2012 and spent six months in detention before being transferred to Geelong.
For his first two years in Australia his visa didn’t allow him to work. But as soon as he could he began searching.
“I applied for Coles, Aldi, a factory – no one would give me a job,” he said.
Frustrated, Kazem started his own painting business and found work “with a few big builders”.
But he soon ran into problems, with clients delaying payment, back-charging or underpaying him, he said.
One business asked him to return to repaint a building, he said.
Kazem believed he had done a good job and said the builder had hired a tradesman to work on the building after he painted it, damaging his work.
When he refused they hired someone else and deducted the cost from other bills, he said.
“They paid me $4000 for the whole house but they back-charged me $2850 just for a touch up job.”
Enter OneCare Geelong volunteer Paul Saunders to help him with the basics of running a business in Australia.
OneCare Geelong is non-profit organisation which provides services to people “who are isolated or marginalised”.
“Every two weeks Paul comes to my home and we talk about everything,” Kazem said.
“He’s been great.”
Paul said Kazem had “struggled with people ripping him off”. He met the Iranian expat at the house in question just before Christmas.
“He was very upset,” Paul said.
“It was pretty clear the painting was finished but it had been damaged afterwards.
“The reason I got involved with him was (builders) weren’t paying him what they agreed, delaying payment unnecessary and deducting expenses for all sorts of excuses.
“I don’t think they would do that to an Aussie bloke.”
With Paul’s guidance Kazem has a few regular clients and a steady flow of business.
“Now I don’t work with builders,” he said.
Kazem said he couldn’t receive benefits for three and a half years in order to be eligible for a permanent visa. This gave him an extra incentive to work.
“I’m very happy – my daughters are finding a lot of friends at school,” he said.
“It’s a very beautiful community around us.”
