Esha Khan (left) with her family and friends at Moira Shire’s citizenship ceremony recently.
From being homesick and pregnant in unfamiliar territory, and stuck indoors during the covid-19 pandemic, Esha Khan is finally an Australian citizen who proudly calls Yarrawonga home.
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Last month, Esha was one of seven Moira Shire residents who were officially welcomed at the council’s citizenship ceremony.
The mother of two moved from Pakistan to Australia in February 2020, where she joined her husband, Aneeque Azam in Sydney.
At first, life down under was a challenge for Esha who struggled being away from her family, friends and workplace.
Her experienced during the pandemic was worsened by the ups and downs she faced on a personal and physical level.
“Lockdown was very difficult for us, I wouldn’t see my husband often as he was busy with work,” Esha said.
“It was frightening also as I got appendicitis three months into my pregnancy.
“In 2021 we were blessed with a baby girl and were so happy to have a little one in our lives.”
Although Esha settled and became a popular figure around the Campbelltown shopping centre, she and Aneeque would again face uncertainty, with another relocation.
The couple, with their firstborn child, moved to Yarrawonga in 2022 after Aneeque found work in the area.
Esha Khan, proud to become and Aussie.
Confronted again by the uncertainty of a new place, Esha highlighted the friendship shown by Robert and Helen Purtle, who really helped the couple settle in.
“Helen would take me out every Friday to meet new people, explore the town and get familiar with Yarrawonga,” she said.
“When I wasn’t feeling well, Helen would look after my kids, and Robert is so lovely.”
An aspect of Australian culture which had taken Esha by surprise was multiculturalism.
She fostered a relationship with neighbours, Isabelle Oliveira and Andre Abreu, who were of Brazilian descent.
Esha said she could rely on her friends for anything, as if they were family.
“Without these people, I wouldn’t be able to survive,” she said.
“I am so blessed to have them around me.
“When I go to Pakistan, I tell everybody how nice Australia is.”
Aneeque also enjoys life between his job and playing A-Grade competition for the Yarrawonga/Mulwala Cricket Club.
After settling into life in Yarrawonga, Aneeque became a citizen and now his wife has joined him, telling her friends at home in Pakistan how proud she was to become an Aussie.
“Everyone is treated equally, no matter the politics, everyone is treated in the same manner.”
