I want to be a firefighter." This was one of the things Abdul said as he drove to the Macedon Ranges after spending 22 months in immigration detention.
As a young boy in West Africa he had witnessed a neighbouring shop owned by a family friend burn to the ground. They lost everything that they owned. All he could do was stand and watch, and from then, he knew he wanted to be a firefighter so that he could hopefully protect his community from ever experiencing that horror.
Originally from Ghana, Abdul, 29, came to Australia in 2015 seeking asylum.
Jenny met Abdul at the detention centre in Broadmeadows. She visited the centre to help bring some of the outside world to what she saw as a place of extreme oppression and they were immediately drawn together as she was sitting alone in the visitor room on his first visiting day in Melbourne.
Their bond was instantaneous and the pair quickly became family: Jenny and Abdul have a very unique relationship, and are creating a very secure future together.
Since that day driving to the Macedon Ranges, both Abdul and Jenny’s lives have changed dramatically in so many wonderful ways, and they have fantastic support from their families both in Australia and Ghana.
“An unexpected situation can change your life in a minute,” Jenny says. “We were meant to meet that day.”
Both are now also CFA volunteers with Lancefield CFA.
Abdul is a firefighter and part of a community where he can make his own contribution to keeping people safe.
“This is a dream come true for me,” Abdul says.
“I am safe. I feel loved."