A Sri Lankan refugee uses his own lived experience as a young asylum seeker to help support people in the Geelong community to overcome mental health challenges.
He was just 14 years old when he arrived in Australia by himself as an asylum seeker.
Mr Santhrakumar, along with his parents and three brothers, were fleeing Sri Lanka on a boat in 2013 when he was separated from his family.
He said there was one big boat which had smaller canoes on the side to would bring people to the shore.
“(The transporters) grabbed me and put me on the canoe,” Mr Santhrakumar said.
“I didn’t know what to do, I told them my parents and brothers were on the boat and I couldn’t leave without them.
“I did my best to get back to them but I didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
Mr Santhrakumar said when he got to shore, he was told his family, and other asylum seekers, had been sent back to Sri Lanka as there were too many people on the boat.
“I just cried myself to sleep,” he said.
The now-24-year-old has not seen his family since they were separated.
Sath Santhrakumar is a peer support worker at Head to Health Geelong. He draws on his own challenges he went through as an asylum seeker to help others. Picture: Mark Wilson
Mr Santhrakumar was first taken to a detention centre on Cocos Island.
He was then transferred to Christmas Island and also spent time in a detention centre in Tasmania before being released.
Mr Santhrakumar was bullied multiple times as he could not speak English.
“It wasn’t a good feeling,” he said.
“No one really knew what sort of life I had experienced and what I had gone through.”
Mr Santhrakumar has now lived in Geelong for about nine years.
He completed his education at Belmont High School before going on to complete his certificate III in community services and a diploma in community services.
“I wanted to do something for the community,” he said.
“I’ve built my own family here … I’ve got my friends and my partner.
“This community has given me so much so I wanted to find a way to give back.”
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Mr Santhrakumar works as a peer support lead at Head to Health in Geelong and draws on his own trauma to empathise with others experencing mental health challenges to provide a safe space for them.
Head to Health, which is run by Neami National, is hosting a free open day this weekend for locals to learn about the support services available at the centre.
“This is an open day for the community,” Mr Santhrakumar.
“If someone from your family or a loved one are experiencing some mental health challenges, we want them to know that support is available.”
The open day will be held this Saturday at 8 Station St, Norlane from 10am to 12pm.
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