The green hills of the Barossa Valley and the new arrival elephants at Monarto Zoo brought back memories for Hari and Chandra, Bhutanese refugees now making South Australia their new home.

‘After leaving Nepal, I haven’t seen green spaces like this,’ Hari said of the Barossa. ‘It’s like a village – beautiful, peaceful.’

For a moment, memories of beautiful Bhutan, a country on the edge of the Himalayas wedged between China and India, overshadowed the pain of persecution that forced them to flee to refugee camps in Nepal.

Today, Hari and Chandra are among some 4,000 refugees from Bhutan settling into life in Adelaide. They are part of a broader community of refugees from across the globe that the Australian Refugee Association supports to build safe, connected, and independent lives in their new home.

However, now they face new challenges. Some older South Australians can feel they are ‘invisible’ when using public transport or seeking help. For older refugees, these feelings can be compounded by language barriers, unfamiliar systems, and limited access to services.

Older Bhutanese women and men like Hari and Chandra, also face being isolated and not able to read or speak English. Their new life also means struggling to access health and community services and navigating everything from the risk of scams to elder abuse.

That’s why the Australian Refugee Association with funding from Office for Ageing Well’s Ageing Well in CALD Communities Grant program has delivered this project to Hari, Chandra, and Bhutanese community members.

Working in partnership with Bhutanese communities, the Australian Refugee Association shaped an information and activity program. This has informed older people about aged care supports, elder abuse, digital safety, health and wellbeing, cost-of-living support, legal rights, and how to manage money and avoid scams.

Over the past year, more than 100 men and women over 55 discovered more about how to keep fit and healthy, where to access cost of living support like concessions, access the Seniors Card, NDIS and My Aged Card, their rights in Australia, planning ahead for their future including the importance of a Will, and more.

Despite high levels of illiteracy, people were eager to learn and build new knowledge.

“I only visit the doctor when I’m sick,” Hari said. “But now I understand that regular check-ups are important.”

Hari, Chandra and others in the group, also shared stories about struggles and successes in resettling, and life in Bhutan growing maize on farms or working in government. Having been forced out in the early 1990s as a minority group following a government policy which led to persecution, loss of citizenship and mass displacement, their new life offers hope for themselves and their families.

The practical program took them out of feelings of isolation and reminded participants they are valued members of the community. To find out more about the Australian Refugee Association go to www.australianrefugee.org

“I never got this information, now I'm aware of this so will help one of my friend because he is going through a lot and was looking some information like this.”

The Australian Refugee Association is supported by Office for Ageing Well, Department of Human Services through the Ageing Well in CALD Communities Grants program, which aims to deliver education and awareness-raising activities focused on safeguarding the rights of older people and to strengthen the capability of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds to understand and action their rights.