A resilient and brave mother fights and wins equal rights for her son to participate in school activities.

By empowering herself to speak up Sadi secured a simple but vital right for her son: to experience, learn and grow as his friends do. This is her story.

Last month, Sadi was faced with telling her son that, yet again, she could not afford to send him on a school excursion. With the family getting by on a single income and assistance from the ASRC, there has been little spare of late.

Sadi came to Australia six years ago. She has been a member of the ASRC for two years whilst seeking asylum for herself and her family. Sadi’s husband’s income is limited due to visa restrictions, and upon which the entire family is dependant. The weekly budget strains to cover the essentials – with her husband leaving for work one and a half hours early every day in order to save money on the Early Bird Fare – and has nothing spare for extracurricular activities, including school excursions for his son who in second grade of primary school.

With two young children, Sadi herself is unable to work. Government assistance for people seeking asylum was denied to her, and without this support, access to childcare is near impossible. Under these circumstances, the ability to pay for school excursions was not realistic or conceivable. With no savings of her own and having run out of options, things looked bleak. But the needs of her children always came first. Sadi would not be undone. Her children deserved better.

Hours she spent online, seeking any organisation that could assist, and she had exhausted them all until Sadi came across an article in which Premier Daniel Andrews announced the launch of the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund. $148.3 million set aside to make sure every student – “regardless of background” – gets the chance enjoy such experiences with their friends and learn about the world, because they deserved it.

However, the fund is only accessible to those holding a Health Care Card, Foster Carers Card or Pension Card as issued by Centrelink. People seeking asylum are not eligible for these concession cards, meaning she could not access the fund. If every child deserves to take part in these activities, why not her child? “I don’t know what happened to me,” Sadi said. “You know what I did? I called up Daniel.”

People seeking asylum are not eligible for these concession cards, meaning she could not access the fund. If every child deserves to take part in these activities, why not her child?

Whilst Sadi did not speak to the Premier, she was heard, and transferred to the Office of the Minister for Education, James Merlino. She hung up after relating her story to the Minister’s assistant and with a promise that he would contact her. To her astonishment, Merlino returned her call within minutes.

When asked by the Minister who told her that her child did not deserve this, Sadi read from the department’s own application form. “How can I get the fund when I cannot follow the criteria?”

This time, Sadi was not told, “Sorry, but we can’t help you.”

Following the Minister’s direction, Sadi attended her son’s school and handed the Minister’s direct number to the principal with instructions to call, and money from the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund to be assigned to the school in Sadi’s son’s name. He now has access to $225 a year worth of school excursions for one year.

As the Premier said “…every child deserves every chance to fit in and thrive.” Such rhetoric is of little use to those in need, and by speaking up Sadi has secured a simple but vital right for her son: to experience, learn and grow as his friends do. This she did without any assistance from any organisation, under her own initiative. “Nothing is impossible. Everything is possible,” she says, knowing that in this she has been triumphant. All people seeking asylum need help, but as Sadi shows, they are not helpless.

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) will run over four years and provide payments for eligible students to attend camps, sports and excursions. If you are seeking asylum and would like access to this fund for your child, please visit http://www.education.vic.gov.au/csef

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