Abdinasir and his wife came to Aotearoa New Zealand for their children. They saw how clean and beautiful the land was and recognised the opportunities for schooling and future work. However, arriving in the middle of COVID lockdowns meant it took a while for things to work out.
“The journey from Kenya was very exciting but there were also some real challenges. We arrived during COVID and began in an isolation hotel. Then we were relocated to Christchurch, placed in emergency accommodation, and moved from motel to motel. It was very stressful. One of my children has autism and so, without a fence or gate, he would run away. There were bullies teasing him also.
“In the end, I contacted Work and Income (WINZ) and complained. It was just too hard for my family. WINZ referred me to Visionwest. That was the first time I’d heard of Visionwest.”
Before coming to Visionwest, Abdinasir had no idea about finding housing. His family had been tossed from one emergency housing motel to another without understanding how to exit this system.
“The Visionwest people were so full of enthusiasm. Within a day or two, we had an appointment with a tenancy manager. They didn’t promise anything, but said they would try their best to find a stable and safe house. That made me happy.”
Finding the right house for Abdinasir, his wife and their eight children was a challenge. The Visionwest team persevered, however, and soon the family was placed in transitional housing. A while later, almost a year ago, they moved into their permanent Visionwest home.
“The house was perfect. Visionwest made modifications to make it safe for our son, a fence, secure gadgets for the windows, things like that. Then the lady from Visionwest said she’d give us social worker. That was great. Johnny helped us apply for school and with all those other things that were new to us.”
“We appreciate Visionwest because they don’t only give us a house, they give so much support. Whatever I need, I contact Johnny, and he helps me. Visionwest have helped us with all the things we didn’t know.
“There must be other people out there who need housing and other support; Visionwest is helping a lot of people, so, if someone has a need, contact Visionwest and ask for help.”