By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
THE good rub is being extended to Tamil asylum seekers and refugees at a former massage clinic in Dandenong.
A few months ago, Jesuran Wellness Centre transformed a dilapidated building which was said to be the cheapest commercial building in the CBD.
Refugee volunteers have since changed it into a freshly painted, welcoming one-stop shop that provides free lunches, clothes and other essentials, job CV help and training, English language classes, a GP, counselling, a men’s group, a library and games room with a pool table and a carrom board.
Somehow it runs on donations and volunteers five days a week without a cent of government or Jesuran church funding.
The centre’s Pastor Hilda Samuel calls it a “miracle house”.
She said it is a place where those who have escaped from misery in war zones and detention centres are loved.
“We do inner healing that deals with the trauma – the spirit, mind and body. We identify all the emotional pain.
“We are here to make the journey with them and get them right.”
In the kitchen, some mothers gather and talk. It’s quickly apparent why they need help.
One is practically a single mother due to her husband being imprisoned for domestic violence.
She hasn’t seen her greater family for years and wishes to bring them to Australia to live, which is impossible while she’s in the tortuous limbo of a bridging visa.
Speaking on Khodayar Amini’s tragic suicide in a Dandenong park recently, Ms Samuel said the Federal Government must treat new arrivals more humanely.
“These people have the same ambitions, the same desires and the same plans for their families as you and me.
“They come with these dreams that are shattered and broken. The laws drive them to this kind of behaviour.”
Ms Samuel said she can empathise with new arrivals’ plight to some extent – their search for jobs, the language barriers and just the fact that many people don’t understand what they’re going through.
Her own business went bust, she owed the bank $500,000 and then she found God – who she said helped her overcome her debt.
Ms Samuel estimates about $25,000 of goods have been donated as a starting point.
She requires much more to extend her ambitious mission – finding jobs for asylum seekers, plus the help of pro-bono lawyers, donors and volunteers.
There’s a need for a giant rice cooker, Asian groceries and a television.
“Nothing is impossible and I know God is helping me,” Ms Samuel said.
“You have a vision and you have to believe in your vision. You can’t believe in anyone else saying you’re wasting your time.”
Jesuran Wellness Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday at 79a Herbert Street, Dandenong.
To help, phone 0407 125 649.
