Dhafer Shano is a newly trained mentor working with those who, like himself, are refugees impacted by traumatic events.
Dhafer was running a television repair shop in Iraq’s capital Baghdad before he left in February 2014, fearing for his life.“I went to open my workshop one morning and I found a folded piece of paper under the door," he says. “When you get this message or a letter like this, it means you have to leave. You might have four or eight hours to leave, or you are going to have a bullet in your head.”The bullet Dhafer found at his door.
Both men are now active volunteers in their Fairfield community, including through their mentoring roles. “We can help others from an Iraqi background. We are from the same country and we speak the same language,” Dhafer says. “When I first came to Australia four years ago, I needed people to help me, but now I am qualified to help others.”Suicide prevention
“Studies have shown that men in Australia have never been more lonely, isolated, anxious, depressed, or suicidal. And at Mentoring Men, we want to do something about that.”More than 3,000 lives are lost to suicide in Australia each year, and 75 per cent of those are men, according to the Black Dog Institute.
“Over three years, nearly 1,000 men have sought to engage in the Mentoring Men program in English, either as mentors or mentees, and that number is rapidly growing,” Ian says.
Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline crisis support on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25). More information is available at Beyond and
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