As an 18-year-old, Mohammad Qambari has lived through experiences most Australians could never imagine. He and his family were forced to leave their home in northern Afghanistan when war tore their lives apart. Then, a tenuous existence as refugees in Pakistan for three years before finally, finding a safe haven here in Australia.

But one humble dream has sustained this young man throughout the tumultuous years that have been his adolescence – one day, he hoped to become a mechanic. And thanks to the patience of his teachers at Chisholm Institute, he is well on the way to realising the dream.

Having completed his Level 3 in English as a Second Language in 2006, Mohammad went on to do his Certificate II in Automotive Technology Studies, is now doing his Certificate III and has recently gained an apprenticeship with Lettieri Car Clinic in Dandenong.

“When we first arrived I knew how to ask someone’s name and that’s it. My younger brother’s English was good because he studied English at school in Pakistan but mine was not so. I went to Noble Park English Language School and then I went to Chisholm Institute. At Chisholm they assessed me and put me into Level 1 English. I have been doing it for one month and I say it is too easy for me so I went into Level 2. In 2006 I completed that and then Level 3 as well.

“For me and one of my Afghan friends who has also Level 3 English and Certificate II in Automotive Technology Studies, we have problems with the language doing Certificate II but we study very hard. In Certificate II they give us a lot of homework. In one week we get one book and the next week we get a test on the whole book – there’s a lot of study and a lot of reading. But the teacher is very good and he helps me.

“The main point is that I really like being a mechanic, I have always wanted to be a mechanic and that is why I studied very hard. Most Afghani are really studying and they are good. Hopefully I will be getting good marks,” he says.

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