Issue #364 – Wednesday, 25 January, 2017
Albury Wodonga’s largest circulating newspaper
Equal rights for community groups THEY say size matters, but for the Border Trust it doesn’t matter how big, small or established your not-for-profit organisation is, you can be in the running for a grant to see your group grow.
FULL DETAILS, PAGE 5
The dream doctor is in By Monique Kuzeff Seven years ago, Ram Khanal was unsure of where his fate would take him. Having transitioned from the basic lifestyle that a Beldangi refugee camp could afford him to a country full of opportunity, Ram grasped his new life in Australia by the horns. Today the 23-year-old prepares for his first week at the University of Wollongong, where he will spend the next four years studying a Doctor of Medicine (MD). He'll be chasing a dream he once thought he could never reach. “Today I am one step closer to achieving that dream,” Ram said. “I’ve still got a long way to go but I am so glad that the journey is beginning. I cannot describe how excited I am.” He said his inspiration to become a doctor manifested through his own experiences with medical treatment in the refugee camp. “Seeing people die in the camp because of the lack of health services available was definitely eye-opening for me,” he said. “There was never a quick fix at all and today people continue to suffer from the increasingly prevailing health risk conditions we now see over there. “It motivated me to become a doctor and give back to my community.” Ram has always been pro-active and is not one to turn down a great opportunity when it presents itself. Since coming to Australia in 2009, Ram has worked tirelessly in many jobs
and voluntary positions on the Border. These have included as a retail assistant and a learning and support officer at Murray High School, and has worked with Headspace advocating for youth mental health awareness. In 2014, he completed a Bachelor of Medical Science at the Australian National University. But for Ram, 2016 was quite a busy year for him. As vice-president of the Bhutanese Association in Albury, Ram was involved with countless of groups, events, activities and meetings that sought to break down the barriers between the refugee community and the wider community on the Border. “2016 was a bad year in terms of the circumstances for refugees in Australia and people coming overseas and there were definitely times I had to speak up,” he said. “You only have to look at our Bhutanese community to see how much progress we are making. “People need to know us and know that we want to become a part of their community, that we are good people, hard-working and want to give back and contribute to the community.” Ram is also currently involved with the Regional Advisory Council (Multicultural NSW) and is an ambassador for Cricket Australia, through which he continues to inspire and empower young sportspeople across the country in helping them follow their dreams. “It is always highly rewarding no mat-
ter what you do for your community,” he said. “You get to be a force that can drive the community forward especially in a community like the Bhutanese Association where everyone is trying to settle in. “If you’re organised and are willing to put time in, there is always opportunities to contribute to the community. Even if you have a full-time job I was able to do a lot of things.” But now a new journey begins for Ram, who spent the last week settling in to his new apartment in Wollongong, getting ready to embark on a journey that will see him become a graduate doctor at the end of 2020. “Disbelief is the word that would accurately sum up how I am feeling about it all,” he said. “I feel privileged and I’m thankful that I could come to Australia and have the opportunity like everyone else to do what I wanted to do. “I worked really hard in 2016 to make sure I was able to start medical school this year, which is definitely a big tick for what I wanted to do but I also want to continue my work in the community.” Ram said he intended to move back to Albury to continue working in his community once he has graduated from medical school. “My preference after graduating is to get back to Albury and I will do whatever I can to make sure it happens.” Congratulations on your new endeavor, Ram.
12337489-KC4-17
Ram stands proudly in front of the medical building at the University of Wollongong where he will study over the next four years to become a graduate doctor. Picture: SUPPLIED