YOUNG Karen people are using a new video to reach out to others making the complex and sometimes isolating move to Bendigo.
The Karen population in the city has grown to nearly 2700, with between 60 and 100 new arrivals every year, Bendigo Community Health Service's Karen Youth Group co-ordinator Nay Chee Aung said.
In the video, members of the youth group speak about the city's Karen community, share ideas for settling in and encouraging young people to reach out for support.
Lwe Pree is a member of the youth group who came to Australia in April, 2015 and said her first three weeks in Bendigo, in particular, had been challenging.
"What was important for me when I first got here was getting support and getting to participate in community activities," she said.
"It makes you feel like you are empowered, and that you get to do normal things. It stops you feeling like you can't do it or that you are alone."
She said the kinds of supports provided by Bendigo Community Health Services and other groups were important for new arrivals, who often did not speak English and needed to adjust to a different way of life.
Bendigo Community Health Services is developing a similar video for Afghan migrants settling in Bendigo.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
