Kia ora, my name is Namrud Gebreab. I was born in Ethiopia in 1983, and grew up there.

Due to the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, I and my family were forced to leave from Ethiopia to Eritrea because my family had Eritrean ancestry. In 1998 I started a new life in a new country, a new tradition and culture. This time was a turning point in my life. After I completed my high school, I joined the military service. A few years later in 2009 I graduated from University of Asmara in Tourism and Hotel management. In 2014 I escaped from Eritrea to Ethiopia due to the political situation and an unstable life. I lived in a refugee camp and Addis Ababa for more than 4 years. I arrived in New Zealand in March 2019 as part of the refugee quota programme. My family are living both in Ethiopia and Eritrea. I was married to my love Beti, She is currently living in Ethiopia where I left her behind two years ago – this was one of the hardest decisions for me to make. Here in Christchurch I have lived for about a year and a half on my own. From my academic experience, I studied Tourism and Hotel management, accounting and also some IT courses. I worked in that arena for several years. Furthermore, I worked as a teacher as part of the first four years of my national service.

My life in New Zealand, at the beginning, seemed a bit hard and a shock. It was a struggle to feel stable, be patient and get used to a new system and weather. We Eritrean have suffered both physically and mentally. It is also never easy to come to a new unfamiliar country without your family. With the help of health professionals, I have started a new life. Finally, my long term plan is to continue my education and take some courses related to my previous experience. I would like to see and travel to new places and am keen to study different cultures and norms of different societies. After a year and 6 months I have started a job at Hagley College as a bilingual support worker. This is a new stage in my journey and a good opportunity to help others and great experience for me.