Hiva’s Story
Path-maker, inspiration, and builder of a brighter future
RACS was recently able to help a woman find permanent safety in Australia. Hiva is a pseudonym and we’ve used stock images to protect her identity. However the words below are all her own, beautifully written in English for you. We are grateful to Hiva for taking the time to share her heart and her experience with you.
The RACS team
I stepped into a land where I knew no one. Its language was foreign to me, its laws unfamiliar, and everything was wrapped in a cloud of uncertainty and anxiety. The mental chaos and the heavy burden of past traumas made it hard for me to think clearly or express my emotions properly. Yet amid that uncertain space, I encountered people who responded with calm voices, arranged interpreters for me, and used a system that, step by step, revived a sense of security and trust in my heart.
For those who work with refugee cases every day, my story might be just one among hundreds-but for me, every single one of their actions was a profound rescue. With patience, RACS drew the truth of my life from within my scattered words. Despite the linguistic, cultural, and emotional gaps, they were able to smooth the path for me through deep human understanding and professional legal expertise.
Through the support of RACS and its wise and dedicated supporters, I was given a second chance at life. An institution that, while fully committed to the laws of Australia, work with a devoted spirit and a humanitarian perspective to advocate for the rights of people like me who have been harmed. The compassionate and meticulous efforts of these individuals are truly inspiring and worthy of admiration.
Their compassion was not just simple support-it was a reminder that even in the darkest moments, kindness can become light. I carry that light with me now, and I hope that one day, I can pass it onto others.
In a world full of noise, pain, and shadows, their humanity was a voice, a hand, a bridge. May we one day become that for someone else.
Give the key to refugee safety today.
Q: You experienced a lot of discrimination in your home country. How did this affect your childhood and studies? How did this affect you as an adult?
I was born in a country where simply being who I am became a reason for limitation. Because of my religion, ethnicity, mother tongue, and above all, being a woman, I constantly found myself in situations where I had to defend even the most basic human rights.
I was often forced – against my will – to remain silent, to hide who I was, or to pretend, simply to stay safe. And at times, when silence became unbearable, I raised my voice in protest and demanded what was my natural right. In a place where freedom of expression was forbidden, these moments came with serious consequences.
I was denied opportunities to pursue the subjects I loved, such as art, theatre, and acting. Hidden depression, chronic anxiety, and a persistent lack of self-worth followed me throughout my youth.
At a time when I should have been growing, I was instead striving for the basic right to exist.
“At a time when I should have been growing, I was instead striving for the basic right to exist.”
Q: How did you first get involved in acting? What do you like about it?
I had a deep interest in acting – it allowed me to express myself and connect with something profound within.
I took part in a few artistic projects, but unfortunately, I was forced to stop due to religious discrimination and repressive laws designed to control and censor creative expression.
Over time, these restrictions prevented me from continuing. Today, I remain connected to the arts, though in different ways – often behind the scenes.
I believe art is a universal language – a bridge between cultures and a powerful tool for expression. Through art, we make sense of ourselves and connect with others beyond words or borders.
Q: The Woman Life Freedom movement inspired many people and gained worldwide attention. What impact did this movement have on you personally? How did it affect your life?
I read books far beyond my age as a child. At the same time, I was already living the harsh realities of injustice and discrimination in my everyday life. Through books, I encountered ideas like human rights, freedom, and women's equality – but those were never distant concepts to me. I had already tasted their absence.
I became aware of the pain in my society very early. I felt the impact of unjust laws directly – in my home, in school, in public life, and especially in the way girls and women were silenced and restrained. Again and again, my path in life was blocked or redirected because of those limitations. I often felt as though the women in my country were living in a vast prison the size of the nation itself. For me, the longing for freedom and basic human dignity was not a learned idea – it was something instinctive and deeply personal. The slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" is far more than words; it is the collective cry of a nation exhausted by oppression and inequality. I have lived this slogan – through suffering, through resistance, and through hope.
Give the key to refugee safety today.
Q: How/Why did you come to Australia? When did you realise that returning home was no longer an option, that it was too dangerous?
I originally came to Australia with a purpose other than migration, and I didn't expect my stay to be long-term. However, after arriving, circumstances changed in a way that made it painfully clear: returning to my country was no longer an option – it was far too dangerous.
I received information indicating that if I were to return, I would face the risk of arrest, violence, and serious threats to my life and freedom. After seeking legal advice and carefully evaluating the situation, I made the difficult decision to stay in Australia as the only possible way to ensure my safety.
This was not an easy choice – leaving behind my homeland, my family, and everything I had built was deeply painful. But protecting my life and holding onto hope for the future had to come first.
Q: How did you find out about RACS? What kind of things did RACS lawyers do for you?
I found RACS through an online search while looking for legal support. I read testimonials, visited your website and social media, and it gave me hope.
From the first contact, I was treated with patience and clarity. A lawyer was assigned to me, and the legal process was explained step-by-step. Although I was in a fragile and anxious state, they patiently helped gather my documents and information. They reassured me that if my story was true and supported by evidence, I would be protected. Interpreters were arranged, multiple long sessions were held, and everything was handled with compassion and accuracy.
“In that moment, all the pain I had endured came rushing back to me, and at the same time, I experienced my first real sense of safety and freedom.”
Q: What did the process of applying for a protection visa involve? What was the hardest part?
The process of applying for a protection visa required patience, honesty, and the courage to revisit very personal and painful parts of my life.
The most difficult part of this journey had two aspects:
First, recalling information from the distant past – details that, after so many years, were difficult to access in my memory.
Second, reviewing and retelling traumatic events that I am still dealing with the consequences of – an experience that was mentally and emotionally very heavy.
In addition to this, I felt the need to answer with great precision and without any errors, which created a lot of pressure and stress. At the beginning of the process, I was unfamiliar with the overall structure and purpose of the questions, and I didn't know how to speak briefly while focusing on the key points.
Q: Can you tell us about the day/moment when you found out about your permanent visa?
After months of anxiety, sleepless nights, and a constant fear of an uncertain future, my only hope was the granting of a protection visa. The psychological pressure had pushed me to the edge of collapse. When I received the call and was told my application had been approved, I was in shock – speechless with joy. I could only cry and repeat my thanks.
Q: What do you like about Australia?
What I value most about Australia is the sense of peace, safety, and freedom. In this country, people of all beliefs, religions, genders, languages, and ethnicities are, by law, entitled to equal rights – something I had never experienced in my own country.
In Australia, as long as a person respects the law, they are free in other aspects of life, and this kind of freedom within a legal framework is deeply meaningful and new to me.
I also find the natural beauty of Australia both comforting and soothing. I come from a beautiful land, and this connection with nature here gives me a sense of belonging and reassurance.
Q: Are you still involved in acting/theatre? What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
In recent years, I have been drawn to aspects of art that take place more behind the scenes – spaces that do not require direct presence or being publicly visible, but still allow me to live through creativity. The difficult and restrictive experiences I went through affected my self-confidence, and I am not yet internally ready to return to performance or the stage.
However, my passion for art remains alive. Although my path has changed, art is still a way for me to recover, to heal, and to slowly rebuild the confidence that was suppressed for so many years.
I hope that once my life becomes more stable here, I can grow with greater peace and reconnect with art in a deeper way. For me now, art is above all a path to return to myself – and eventually, a way to raise awareness for peace and freedom.
Q: What advice would you give to other women/people who have escaped persecution and violence?
To the women and people who have escaped violence, discrimination, or oppression, I say:
You are alive, and that alone is a victory. Even though the path you have walked has been dark and full of pain, your survival, your rescue, and your standing on new ground are in themselves a beginning.
Give yourself time. Wounds do not heal easily, but within this very ruin, a great strength lies. Remember that your worth is far beyond what they told you for years.
As Rumi said: "The wound is the place where the Light enters you."
Wounds are not only places of pain – they can become gateways for light, awareness, and transformation.
Turn your silence into voice, your fear into understanding, and your suffering into light.
“You are not just a survivor – you can be a path-maker, an inspiration, and a builder of a brighter future.”
Q: What would you like the people who donate to RACS to know?
To those who, with conscious hearts, walked this humanitarian path from afar – but with hearts close: You may never see my face or hear my voice, but your kindness has touched my life.
I am a woman who passed through the darkness of discrimination, violence, and voicelessness – not by choice, but in order to preserve my life, my dignity, and the dreams that had been silenced for years.
Your support was a lifeline at a moment when my life was on the verge of collapse.
You gave me a second chance to live – in safety, in freedom, and in the embrace of a country that believes in human dignity.
From the depth of my heart, I want you to know:
Your hand was the one that saved my life.
And now, as I walk the path of healing, growth, and creation, I hope I can become a light for others – just as you were for me.
My wish is that one day, I will succeed enough to become one of you.
Donate now to help us give people like Hiva access to free essential legal help.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share?
In closing, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my incredible lawyer, their professional colleague, and the entire support system that RACS has created for people like me.
Throughout this journey, I witnessed a deep commitment to the law, professional conduct, and a spirit of humanity in every part of this organisation. The genuine responsibility and dedication of this team were admirable and inspiring to me.
They are truly deserving of deep appreciation and lasting respect.
-
![]()
Maryam
Maryam and her family arrived in Australia in 2012. With no protection, no support and no finances, the family’s situation seemed bleak. Read more to hear how RACS was able to assist Maryam to gain permanent safety in Australia.
-
![]()
Jeanine
When Jeanine fled her home country in East Africa, she became separated from her two sons. After reaching out to RACS, she was granted a permanent visa and from there, was able to apply to be reunited with her children in Australia.
-
![]()
Emil
Emil arrived in Australia alone in 2002, after fleeing religious persecution in his home country. When he reached out to RACS for support in applying for protection, he didn’t know that same support that would extend to another family member, many years later.
-
![]()
Ali
At just 16 years old, Ali Haidari arrived in Australia alone, having fled his home country of Afghanistan. Ali was determined to build a future in Australia, but he understood that would be impossible without first being granted a protection visa.
