The Morealnder Edition 17 2020-21

Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Moreland

EDITION 17|8 DECEMBER 2020

THE MORELANDER

DR OSAMA NASAB

A remarkable insight into the lives and challenges of a refugee family coming to Australia

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Award of Excellence for Club Bulletin 2018-2019

Moreland Rotary acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands we conduct our business. Moreland Rotary respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. Moreland Rotary also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

Cover photo: Syrian Landscape; Inset: Dr Nasab and his family (Images courtesy of Dr Osama Nasab) THE MORELANDER

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Osama Nasab - A remarkable insight into the lives and challenges of a refugee family coming to Australia We welcomed Dr Osama Nasab to our weekly meeting on 25 Nov, where he presented his story starting in Syria to his migration to Australia with his wife and children in 2017 under a humanitarian visa.

Osama is a trained General Dentist and Orthodontist, for which he holds qualifications of B Dentistry from the University of Damascus (Capital of Syria) and M Orthodontics granted by Medical Specialisation Board – Ministry of Health (Syria). Since arriving in Australia Osama has been working through the difficult challenge of getting work experience and obtaining Australian registration.

Osama is living in Reservoir and is married to Rima, who is a pharmacist currently working in South Morang. They have 2 children (boys) Faried (12) and Samier (11) who are attending school in Reservoir in grade 6 and 5 respectively.

The boys have done well at school with Faried the current school captain.

Osama was born in the Syrian capital of Damascus in 1976, where his father worked as an officer in the Syrian army administration and his mother a Primary School teacher.

Osama is the oldest of 4 boys in a family of Greek Orthodox Christians.

The family moved to the northern Syrian city of AlSuqaylabiyah (population 17,000) after Osama’s father retired in 1998. Osama completed his B Dentistry in 2000, after which he joined his family in Al-Suqaylabiyah to establish his own small dental clinic in 2001. He then completed his Orthodontics training over the three years to 2004, with 4 days a week commute on a 4.5 hours bus trip to and from Damascus.

After completing his Orthodontics training he set up an Orthodontics practice to complement his general dentistry Clinic. Both developed well under Osama’s leadership which was abruptly impacted by the outbreak of the Syrian War in 2011.

The images on this page depict life in peacetime Syria and those on page 4 show some of the terrible destruction that war has brought to that

troubled country.

THE MORELANDER

Text: Trevor Moyle | Images: Dr Osama Nasab

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Osama Nasab - A remarkable insight into the lives and challenges of a refugee family coming to Australia (continued) Being Orthodox Christian Osama’s family were very vulnerable to the escalating and violent conflict between insurgent Sunni Muslim forces and Government led forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (see photo of the damage created from this continuing war) The situation became intolerable with continual threats of attack and risk to personal life and property. Osama described the highly stressful experiences of witnessing bomb attacks near his home and clinics.

This prompted investigations of options to evacuate from Syria, which included offers of work from Qatar.

Osama made his way to the capital of neighbouring Lebanon in 2015 and after rejection of a German application he was able to lodge a humanitarian visa application with the Australian Embassy in May 2016, which was accepted in November that year leading to arrival initially in Brisbane Australia in 2017 before moving to Melbourne. Two of Osama’s brothers are living in Germany and one in Canada.

Leaving Syria was hard in terms of leaving his parents and family, and the cost of losing business assets, personal property and many possessions.

Although the challenges of re-establishing in Australia has been difficult Osama and Rima have found the reception and support of Australians to be amazing with Osama using words like “friendly, helpful and respectful”.

Their boys have settled in very well at school with many new friends and good results. They all love Australia.

Osama enjoys football, reading and playing chess, and of course socialising with his family and friends.

THE MORELANDER

They are impressed with the range of migrant groups in Melbourne with many Syrian families. There are approx. 60 families form their former city area of Al-Suqaylabiyah, who get together from time to time.

Finally it has been challenging for Osama to get professional work, which he is limited to dental assistant work until he gets full local qualifications. This is an area where Moreland club member Trevor Moyle (at the request of Pascoe Vale Pres Pat Solibakke) has been providing some support. Trevor advises that some introductions that he has set up has led to some regular time at a local dental practice and assistance in working towards Osama’s Australian registration. This has given him a great deal of optimism about the future in 2021 and beyond.

Unfortunately Osama’s parents are still living in war torn AlSuqaylabiyah which like most of Syria (and demonstrated in the photos below) has been decimated in terms of infrastructure (a few hours per day of power), health system and minimal shops and food supply. Covid-19 has now swept through Syria and in places like Al-Suqaylabiyah there is very little health support, and therefore a rapid and high level of infection and death rate.

This situation has left Osama very distressed about his parents situation and is trying to determine opportunities for seeking visas for his parents although he understands that is very difficult at present Osamas family define what is good about reaching out to support migrant families with special needs, and in doing so providing an insight to the problems besetting many others in the world. Like many others they are very grateful for their new chances and look like giving back to Australia in many ways.

Text: Trevor Moyle | Images: Dr Osama Nasab

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About Rotary District Governor's Newsletter "Bruce's Bulletin" is the monthly newsletter of District Governor Bruce Anderson. There is a lot of information about the many Rotary projects and events across our District.

Simply click here to read the latest edition Members of Rotary are part of a diverse group of community and professional leaders working to address community and international service needs and to promote peace and understanding throughout the world.

Rotary districts are a way of grouping a number of clubs in a particular geographic area. The area covered quite often crosses state and even international boundaries.

Rotary District 9790 encompasses the northern Rotary clubs receive a charter suburbs of Melbourne and from the worldwide organisation - stretches north and north east of Rotary International.

Victoria to the Murray River and up into parts of NSW. A Rotarian belongs to a particular Rotary Club often near his/her For more information about home or work or sometimes Rotary District 9790, click here because of the club meeting time.

THE MORELANDER

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Upcoming events and meetings A standing invitation exists for all readers of The Morelander to attend Moreland Rotary Club meetings and some of our other events. Please let us know if you intend to join us by ringing David Redfearn on 0448 852 747 or emailing on dredfearn@vtown.com.au (click on email address).

Upcoming speakers/events

9 December: Monthly Board meeting Chair: President David Redfearn 16 December: Moreland Police Award presentation Chair:Russell Stuckey 23 December: Christmas activity TBA

Our Guest Speakers Moreland Rotary Club invites speakers to our club both from our local community and further afield. They come from a wide range of backgrounds and are invited because they hopefully inform and stimulate our members and guests. We feel that this is of value in fostering a deeper understanding of our diverse community and even providing guidance as to the types of activites and projects our club may engage in.

However the opinions expressed by our speakers do not necessarily reflect any official viewpoint of Moreland Rotary nor those of individual club members. Irrespective of this we always offer a warm Rotary welcome to all of our speakers.

click here @RotaryMoreland THE MORELANDER

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Rotary Leadership 2020-21

Rotary International: President: Holger Knaack (Susanne) , Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenberg-Mölln (Germany) District Governor: Bruce Anderson (Marilyn), Rotary Club of Strathmore Assistant Governor Group 2: Emma Davis, Rotary Club of Moreland Rotary Club of Moreland President: David Redfearn (Deanna)

Club Service Roles 2020-21

President Secretary Treasurer Club Service Community Service Vocational Services International Service and Assistant Bulletin Editor Membership and Rotary Foundation Local Environment Youth and Assistant Secretary Club Administration Bulletin Editor Australian Rotary Health Public Relations Club History Valued members Honorary Members

David Redfearn OAM Rosemary Freeman John Hoffmann Brian Bennett David Redfearn OAM Brian Bennett Trevor Moyle Trevor Moyle Jo Connellan Silvana De Pretto Nino Galgano David Redfearn OAM Rosemary Freeman Russell Stuckey Nino Galgano Richard McCarthy, Elly Gardner, Lee Garwood. Emma Davis The Hon. Kelvin Thomson, Helen Bailey, John Awler

District 9790 /Multi District Roles 2020-21

Assistant Governor, Group 2 District Community Service Chair and Australian Rotary Health District Legal Officer District Bulletin Editor and Peter Toomey Community Police Award Shine On Awards

Emma Davis Rosemary Freeman Nino Galgano David Redfearn OAM Brian Bennett

WHEN AND WHERE WE MEET: Moreland Rotary Club meets most Wednesdays at 7.30 for a 7.40 am start.

We meet at the Sorrento Bar, 801 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 3056 HOW TO GET A COPY OF THE MORELANDER: If you would like to receive our bulletin via email each week, email our editor at: dredfearn@vtown.com.au WHERE TO SEND FORMAL CORRESPONDENCE: Attention: The Secretary, Moreland Rotary Club, PO Box 219, Coburg, Victoria, 3058

Chartered 14 August 1996 - Sponsor Club Coburg Rotary Club | Incorporated 13 August 2019 Designed using Canva - www.canva.com

THE MORELANDER

Images by David Redfearn and logos from rotary.org unless otherwise specified.

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During the pandemic we have been meeting via Zoom on Wednesday mornings from 7.30-8.30 am and we have had some great guest speakers.

You now may be able to join us in person at our usual venue which is listed on page 8. Numbers are presently restricted so an RSVP is essential. You can still join us on Zoom though and the link is below.

Why not join us one morning? Simply ring David on 0448 852 747 the day before to RSVP and then go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87077765173 just before the meeting to join in.