A Journey of Resilience
A Journey of Resilience
Before Sassy Organics was even an idea, I was on a very different journey. I am a Bosnian refugee, and arriving in Australia was a defining moment in my life. This is my story of resilience, hope, and finding home.
How It All Began
I was born in a small town, Brcko, in Bosnia and Herzegovina where I lived with my mum, dad and my older sister for the first 12 years of my life until 1992 when the Bosnian war broke out. As Yugoslavia fell apart, Bosnia fought for its independence – the war was violent and bloody.
With the conflict and violence nearing, my mum, my sister and I fled home on the 30th of April 1992. We headed to a nearby village for safety, with nothing more than our pyjamas, thinking we'd be back the next day. That was over 30 years ago now – we never returned home.
The day we left was the last time I saw most of my friends, my neighbours and some of my family members. We left everything behind, including my dog and photographs, which means I don't remember and have no way of knowing how my sister and I looked growing up. But we were just grateful to survive, as so many have lost more than photographs.
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Brčko, my hometown in Bosnia
The Life of a Refugee
For the next four years, between 1992 and 1995, my family and I sought refuge. We lived in more places than you could imagine, being sent from one refugee camp to another and bouncing from country to country – Croatia, Czech Republic and Germany. Life was tough, although I did enjoy not going to school for, well, years.
We had no money, no home, no set future. Each day was the same in the camps. And our lives mostly involved listening to the radio for the latest news about atrocities that were happening at home.
My childhood was not, by any stretch of the imagination, normal. Most refugees could attest to that. I didn't grow up listening to music, reading cool magazines or watching the latest TV shows. We had one TV, which was shared between over 100 residents and the main channel was the news. I grew up listening to horror stories, broadcasted from my war-torn home, Bosnia – not something a 12-year-old should ever have to listen to. I also heard the stories of other survivors in the camps who had been through the most horrible experiences that a human being could endure. Some of those stories will stay with me forever.
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Refugee Camp, Plzeň, Czech Republic
Making the Most of It
Despite my childhood being out of the ordinary, I made the most of it. And I kept busy. At age 14, I learnt how to cut boys' hair, and made some pocket money that way. I also worked for an American company, sorting pigeon rings (strange I know!). I was paid something like five cents for every 100 rings... I am pretty sure this is called child labour. But it was common for people to take advantage of us.
I can still remember one of the first purchases I made with the money from those part-time jobs: my first deodorant, a Rexona. Little did I know that some 25 years later I would have enough deodorant in stock to last me a lifetime!
Another item I remember clearly is my oversized jacket. This jacket was at least 4–5 sizes too big. But when you have little money, you settle with what you're given. You never complain because when you know there's no alternative – sometimes that's the best way to be.
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Me in Prague, wearing my oversized jacket – at least 4-5 sizes too big!
Settling in Australia
In December 1995, we made it to Australia. We had been living in Germany as refugees for some time, our humanitarian visas were expiring but the war was still raging in Bosnia, so we had no home to go to. My sister's in-laws had arrived in Australia a year prior, also as refugees, so we knew Australia would be a safe place for us to start a new life. We applied to go there on humanitarian visas. Once the Australian embassy in Germany told us our visas were approved, we didn't waste any time packing and preparing for our move.
Leaving friends, yet again, was difficult. But harder still was saying goodbye to my grandma. Knowing we were going so far away and that her health was not good, I wasn't sure I'd ever see her again. She was supposed to come to Australia once we had settled there, but decided instead to return home, despite it being dangerous to do so.
My grandma returned to the same apartment she'd spent most of her life in and passed away peacefully in her sleep seven days later. Since fleeing Bosnia, my grandma had wanted nothing more than to return home, which she managed to do seven years later. Although she died happy, she left me with a huge hole in my heart and the pain of never being able to see her again.
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Arrival to Australia, Melbourne Airport, December 1995
Finding My Place
My new life in Australia started in Dandenong. I went to Dandenong High School and even though I couldn't say a word in English I met some beautiful people who welcomed me and helped me get through the tough period of my teenage life.
Trying to fit in was difficult at the beginning, as my English was limited or non-existent. It was hard to make new friends at age 16, and I spent most of the first year alone at the library, hiding the fact I had no friends. But by the following year I made some friends and felt like I belonged there... at last. And by the time I got to year 12, I felt completely at home.
I'm so grateful for the opportunities that living in Australia has given me. I call Australia home now. I love everything about this country: its people, the solidarity and the acceptance of different cultures. I call myself an Aussie, although I do have an accent which I'm pretty sure will never go away!
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Finding my place in Australia
How Being a Refugee Shaped Me
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Aida Rejzovic, Founder of Sassy Organics
My refugee experience and the hardships I've faced because of it have, of course, been obstacles in my life. But growing up a refugee also gave me a different perspective – it taught me to value life more and to find happiness in the small things.
I don't feel like my past defines me and I've been lucky, and strong, enough to not hold onto any past darkness like grief and loss. I'm a happy person, overall, and I find that I don't dwell on things, thanks to the resilience that my refugee years taught me. If I do have a difficult or bad day, I always know and remind myself that the next day will be brighter. This sort of attitude has helped me throughout my life, in many different situations. I'm also forever grateful that my family and myself have been in good health, as that's something I know is so incredibly difficult to go through.
Don't settle: if you're not happy with your job, find ways to change it. That's what I did when I changed from a career in Criminology to starting an organic, all-natural e-commerce store. Making big changes are always easier said than done, so just start somewhere and start small. We spend way too many hours at work not to be happy with what we do.
If there's something new that you'd like to try or you want to change your whole career as I did, don't wait for the perfect or magic moment – there probably won't be one. Instead, make that decision, commit to it and take your first step. The rest will follow.
The Refugee Experience Is Bigger Than Me
It feels horrible to leave your town, thinking you will be back the following day, only to never return to the place you once called home. My heart goes out to all those that have experienced war or that had to flee their homes for political reasons.
Currently, millions of people across the globe have been forcibly displaced from their homes due to persecution, violence and human rights violations. My refugee experience stole my childhood from me. Today, over half of the world's refugees are children.
I was lucky enough to make Australia my home. But there are still hundreds of people seeking asylum who don't get adequate protection and thousands of refugees that need community support to build a life here.
There are countless ways you can get involved to help asylum seekers and refugees in your local community and Australia more broadly. Volunteering with a local organisation, signing petitions, taking part in activism and awareness-raising, and donating or fundraising are all great ways to help. You can also educate yourself further on the Australian asylum and refugee system, and the cultures of the refugees that come here to build more cultural awareness and understanding.
Resources to learn more and get involved:
Thank You for Reading My Story
Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about my journey. Being a part of the Aussie business scene is one of the many ways this country has helped me feel I truly belong. And for that, I am always grateful.
– Aida xo
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