Migration story – Laiba

Laiba was born in Peshawar, a city in the North West of Pakistan. She smiles when describing her early life, as the ‘princess’ of her parents, belonging to an economically sound family who employed enough servants that she never even had to do any house chores! She invested her time studying a master’s degree in economics at the University of Peshawar and working as a junior educator and school librarian. From her privileged position, she was able to identify major social issues prevalent in her country. A lack of education and understanding of their rights caused many people to live in poverty without the government support they were entitled to. Incited to act, Laiba undertook community work, connecting those in need with government services and assisting them with the official paperwork that is a major barrier faced by those with low levels of literacy. Helping their community was a family affair. Laiba and her father cultivated a kitchen garden, making packages of home-grown fruits and vegetables and lining them up with bottled water at the front of their house for the taking. 

In 2018, Laiba married her husband and six months later embarked on the first overseas trip of her lifetime, moving to Australia as a permanent resident. Not only was Laiba in a foreign country for the first time, she was also expecting her first child and feeling the effects of isolation and homesickness. While her husband worked hard to secure their family, she often found herself crying and alone in their first house in St Albans. When they decided to relocate, Laiba and her husband looked for an ideal neighbourhood to join with access to public transport, halal produce and mosque for offering their prayers. They settled in Glenroy and two months after moving to their new home, their baby daughter Ayzel was born. 

A year after first arriving in Australia, Laiba reflects on the differences between her new home and her old home. She believes Australia has the advantage of development, particularly a high level of access to education and effective infrastructure. In contrast, she has been surprised at how difficult it is to find work in this ‘livable city’ and admits it has been more difficult to settle here than she expected. 

Early on, facing the loneliness of cultural shock, the increased responsibility of caring for her first child and the pressure to establish roots in Australia, Laiba refused to shy away from the challenges of her new life. Realizing that no-one was coming to force her out of the house, she became adamant that only she had the power to control her own destiny. ‘Women are multi-taskers’, she states. It was this belief that encouraged her to branch out into her new community. Attending information sessions for new parents and taking her daughter to rhyme time sessions at Glenroy Library, Laiba gained inspiration to thrive as a new mother. She is passionately pursuing the goal of reading 1000 books with Ayzel before she starts school.

The Glenroy Library’s After Dark program has also provided her with the chance to meet new friends and enjoy evening outings with her daughter in a safe space. She believes the library’s English Conversation Club is a blessing for immigrants. As a part of this group, she has poured her heart out to new friends, gained confidence in speaking English and accessed new information about the Moreland community. Laiba says after getting involved in social activities provided by Moreland City Council, she was no longer isolated. She now feels at home, with the people around her like a new family. 

Laiba’s drive to settle her family has resulted in a restoration of her inner positivity. With this valuable outlook, she plans to start a career that allows her to contribute towards the childhood development of young people through providing quality education and care. She has just enrolled in a Diploma of Early Child Education. When thinking of the future, Laiba says that her heart is now stuck in Glenroy and she has no plans of moving away anytime soon. She hopes to continue being a proactive community member and become even more socially active while playing her part in the development of a better society.