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    HUMANS OF THE WEST – MEH POE

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    I was born in Thailand. I lived in a refugee camp for 17 years. When I was 13 years old, I worked all day outside of the camp, then I would come back to the refugee camp and study every night. In 2016, my family and I came to Australia.

    We didn’t speak any English when we arrived. It was very difficult to learn. I first heard about the Western Bulldogs through Victoria University. The Bulldogs Community Foundation came to my school and taught us how to play sport in a program called Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Play.

    I was very interested in football because I had never seen it in my country. I did the CALD Play program four times. It helped me get experience and learn new skills. I met new people and made new friends which helped me get confident to speak English.

    Without the CALD Play program I would not be so confident in my English. It was very hard to learn but I am getting better at understanding every day.

    After I finish studying English, I would like to study community development so I can give back to the community. I want to help people like me who don’t understand English yet. Help them do things like go to the doctors and use public transport.

    If I didn’t have the Bulldogs’ programs, I wouldn’t know what to do. It has helped me settle into the country I now call home.

    A series providing a voice to real humans that might otherwise go unheard, thanks to the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.

     

     

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    Our content is a labour of love, crafted by dedicated volunteers who are passionate about the west. We encourage submissions from our community, particularly stories about your own experiences, family history, local issues, your suburb, community events, local history, human interest stories, food, the arts, and environmental matters. Below are articles created by community contributors. You can find their names in the bylines.

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