Refugees from the Ukraine learnt about housing, job opportunities and social services that are available in Orange during a visit to the city on Friday.
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The refugees participated in an information session at the council chambers in the afternoon followed by a nighttime community event at the conservatorium and a morning tour of Orange on Saturday.
The visit was part of a regional tour that started in Cowra on Thursday and was coordinated by the Community Migrant Resource Centre in Sydney along with Orange City Council, its migrant support service and the Orange Social Justice Group.
While the adults listened to a variety of speakers with help from translators, children were kept entertained with games and gifts.
Skilled migrant Olha Lyeskakova is a project lead for the Community Migrant Resource Centre and helped translate between some of the refugees and speakers from the forum such as MSM Milling representatives who spoke about jobs.
While many in the group wanted to see more and learn more about life in Australia there were some who were considering moving to Orange but hadn't decided yet.
"Maybe five to 10 people that are thinking. They do not have decision yet but they are looking around," Ms Lyeskakova said.
"I would like to thank you all, the Orange community, all these amazing people that made it a reality for the Ukrainian and [displaced] people. We can see all the work that's in the background, that's the main thing."
Ms Lyeskakova came to Australia to work about five and a half years ago and was already able to speak English and more recently some of her family joined her because of the war but her father is still there.
"I came here differently so I prepared for that journey and I understand the difficulties that they have."
The job opportunities that were discussed were for mostly manual jobs at businesses such as Fresh Fodder, Orange Ex-Services' Club, MSM Milling, and fruit producer BiteRiot.
Ms Lyeskakova said many of the people who came to Australia are educated and experienced, skilled professionals, who cannot work in their fields and are looking for jobs such as those discussed at the information session.
"Most of the people who came here, some [have] two to three degrees [but] they do not have an appropriate level of English, or they are doctor who cannot register straight away," she said.
Australia has issued about 4000 visas to Ukrainian refugees however many of them are women and children, older people or men who are exempt from military service.
Ms Lyeskakova said a lot of the men were unable to leave Ukraine because of martial law but they plan to join their families in Australia when they can.
"My father is there and my extended family is there," she said.
However, her mother, sister and niece have joined her in Australia.
"Recently my brother-in-law came, he was eligible to come," she said.
"Father is there he really doesn't want to come."
Vitalii Tanasevych travelled to Sydney from Melbourne so he could participate in the tour to help him integrate in society.
"I want to assimilate in Australia as quick as possible and from my thinking this is one of the best opportunities to do this when you are talking with the people, when you see different places, different areas, different cultures," Mr Tanasevych said.
"It's one of the best ways to understand the country.
"You can be like a tourist but if you have a joke or if you joke with the people its always much better because you understand the culture.
Mr Tanasevych came to Australia three months ago and joined his niece in Melbourne, however, he said he's visited here twice before.
"I am looking to stay, and stay, and stay," he said.
"I would like to immigrate but it's difficult after 55 years old ... but I was informed that at the end of the year this new Labor government will change something for Ukrainians like they did for Afghan people.
"It's a country with a big opportunity if you want to change something in your life or you want to achieve in your life it's the best place for your growing for your children, for being successful, for being happy."
He said it was also a similar climate but "with more contrast in summertime, in winter it's more softer".
He has started working in Melbourne as a builder and handyman and has obtained an Australian Business Number (ABN).
"But it's for start, it's for taking money for life. My main goal here is to be a bee keeper."
Mr Tanasevych said he wants to create a business to help people who have trouble sleeping using the vibrations of bees in their hives. He said it was a popular concept in the Ukraine where beehives are built into the side of a cabin so the bed is on top of the roof of the hive. The bees come and go from outside so there are none in the room but the sleeper can feel their vibrations.
Since arriving in Australia, Mr Tanasevych has noticed various differences in culture saying here there is a greater sense of equality such as being able to meet and shake hands with a mayor, as well as the healthy and active life of many of the older Australians and retirees he's met.
"I was surprised that [older] adult people were very strong, very healthy. It seemed to be like another planet. Here it's independent and no complaints," he said noting that even people on a pension were involved in community life in one way or another.
However, while he's embracing the changes, said there are times when things get lost in translation, particularly jokes, but overall people have been very kind.
"Many people when you say you are from the Ukraine they say, I apologise for you," he said.
Mr Tanasevych said he still has family in Europe with part of his family in Germany and another group has gone to Romania.
"My daughter's daughter, is one-year-old. She is in Romania. They are safe."
Mr Tanasevych also brought along a Ukrainian national shirt that he could wear to show people part of his culture.
"It's a Ukriainian shirt that I take for this trip," he said.
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