Riding towards friends and belonging in a new country

The children receive recycled bicycles through a program run in Western Australia by our Humanitarian Support Services, which supports recently-arrived refugee families.

“Every one of these bikes deliver a sense of belonging,” Humanitarian Support Services Team Leader Assadullah Khurrami explains.

“Many of the children felt socially isolated from the rest of the community. Their school friends have bikes to get around on. Without one themselves some of the children didn’t feel like going to the park and mingling with their friends.” 

A recycled bike, supplied to Red Cross with the support of social enterprise #Dismantle, makes new connections for the new bike owners.

HSP Case Manager Ashraff Mohammad set up the relationship with Dismantle and is hoping to receive 30 more bikes by the end of the year. 

“Most of the bikes are assembled and built by youth in custody. This is part of their rehabilitation program to encourage them to engage in a more meaningful activities. They are also being told about the kids who receive the bikes, so that they get more encouraged,” Ashraff says.

All of the children who received one of the latest batch of 20 bikes arrived with their families as refugees in the last nine months. 

Many come to Australia from Syria, Iraq and Eritrea with their mothers and siblings, having lost family in wars and conflicts.

“They really do appreciate it,” Assadullah says.