JORDAN: "It really touched me for all the things he had to go through just to have a happy and normal life and it makes me realize that my life isn’t that bad and I’m lucky to live in my country were there’s no civil wars or camps".

MAX: "Isaiah Lahai discussed many things, like his childhood and growing up in Refugee camps. This really touched me with the things he had to go through just to be able to get a little bit of freedom. I now look at myself and think, Life isn’t actually that bad for me. The things he had to go through are a nightmare for me. He explained the racism that was used against him in these times. But this never let him give up on what he wanted. At the times when he was growing up in the Refugee camps a civil war was happening that left him scarce of what was going to happen to him? Luckily, nothing did".

ANDREW: "The impact he left upon me was realisation: I discovered that in society in developing countries is totally different to our modern developed society. I discovered war is cruel, and the government and people with power ruled and did as they pleased. I learnt that in our society I can make a difference, I can contribute and make a difference to make our society stronger and more united".     

ELISA: "Mr Isaiah Lahai visited Kingston high on the 20th of June 2013 I found his talk interesting, and quite confronting. He talked about his life growing up, how tough it was. It was very touching and a big eye opener, Mr Lahai grew up in Sierra Leone, and when Isaiah was 14 the civil war had begun, he had to run away and spend 14 years in a refugee camp and then Isaiah moved to Australia and has been living here for about 8 years.

Mr Lahai explained how tough those 28 years, the food and living conditions were atrocious. He couldn’t go and buy fast food; he just got what he was given! He told us about how people got their limbs cut off, it wasn’t just adults it was very young children.

Isaiah Lahai’s story made me realise just how lucky I am to have a home and nice food to eat and so many people out there don’t have opportunities to even go to school and have clean water and fresh food or even a comfy bed. I believe that everyone should have the right to have a nice home, food to eat, nice clothes and fresh food. I also learnt that even I can make a difference". 

SAM: "I learnt many things when Isaiah Lahai came and spoke to us at Kingston High. I learnt about a little country called Sierra Leone that suffered greatly due to a few bad people. I learnt about refugees and what it means to be a refugee. I also learnt what it is like moving to a foreign country where you don’t even know their language. I think what he is doing now is amazing because he is changing people’s thinking and opinions. I was inspired by his experiences that he shared with us and it made me feel like I could make a difference to the lives of millions of people who deserve a better life". 

BEN: "Isaiah Lahai came to our school on the 20th of June to tell us his story of being a refugee and fleeing to Australia. Being a former refugee, Isaiah was a very passionate speaker and he held my attention for the entire presentation. Isaiah spoke about how the country he grew up in, Sierra Leone, was a victim of civil war. He told us how he was forced to flee his own country and stayed in several different refugee camps. Isaiah told us that people were tortured by the rebels and their limbs were cut off, I found this very emotional, and I’m amazed how Isaiah managed to live through such tough times. Now that he has become an ambassador for grass-root multicultural issues, his story has come to full effect, and I believe that this makes his arguments even greater.

I believe that Isaiah Lahai is a great person who is very influential and strong with his own beliefs. I now think that Tony Abbott is completely wrong about refugees, he even calls them “boat people” which is very rude. I found Isaiah Lahai’s story very interesting and eye-opening".

ASHLEIGH: "I learnt what a refugee is, they are not just people who want to move countries, but people who have no choice be to escape from their endangered country. I also found out about the trauma of his experience; he had to travel to many different horrible places, not knowing where he was going next. I realized how much harder his life must have been, rather than the lives we live here in Australia. Most of us have a place to call home and are allowed to stay in our own country, which he is now privileged enough to have.His story impacted me in a way that I know now what goes on in refugee’s lives and how much they really suffer. And they are not just people from a different country to ours that have decided to move to Australia, or any other country. I look forward to telling people his story, and raising awareness about refugees and multiculturalism". 

LIANA: "Isaiah explained to us what his life has been like, his childhood experiences and what he hopes for in the future. It helped me to understand how people in Sierra Leone and other war zones live their lives and it became clear what their reasons are for fleeing to Australia. It influenced me to want to make a difference, to help more citizens of Australia to understand refugees and be more accepting of them. I am now much more accepting of refugees and believe they too have rights to live in this country, for what reasons shouldn’t they? By learning about what happens to many people living in these types of situations was slightly emotional and I immediately had respect for them. I have begun to question why refugees should be treated without any respect and deprived of an education and/or future because of where they were born. I hope than many more Australian’s can understand refugees and begin to accept them into this country".