My name is Jamsheed Shaharyar. I am a refugee from Iran.
I was born to a middle class family in Iran, where my wealth was my family and I earned my income from a good job.
After my education I worked for the local shire as the Manager of the IT department. I was enjoying my life and my work, when the pressure from the government affected my life. I had no other option but to run away in search of freedom.
Jamsheed started his own truck driving business after release from detention.
In 2009 I left everything and I decided that I preferred to be killed in the waters of the Pacific Ocean rather than a death in a jail in my homeland.
When I reached Christmas Island, I was in a jail on a foreign land for a period of 20 months and 15 days. Here I took on the duty of looking after my fellow countryman, who suffered from mental illness. I looked after M.R. and a few other people until I received my Protection Visa in June 2011.
When I was breathing the fresh breaths of freedom, I still visited my friends in Villawood Detention Centre on a daily basis. I later cared for M.R. when he was released from detention.
My own aim for life was not to rely on Centrelink. I worked hard and was able to obtain my Heavy Combination truck license in the first five weeks of my release from detention. I soon applied for a job with a transport company as a truck driver, and later moved to a manufacturer.
I was not satisfied with my income, but was working towards my next goal of saving enough to open a company of my own. When my savings reached $15,000, I was able to apply for a loan. I purchased a truck in 2012 and registered my own name as a sole trader. I was able to become a sub-contractor, and work for myself.
While saving for the purchase of the next truck, to enable me to employ refugees, I have been training many of SSI clients for how to apply for their driving licenses. So far, six of them have succeeded. I would like to continue supporting SSI’s clients because I am aware of their human way of dealing with refugees.