Haynes local Pasan Ganegama knows firsthand how difficult it can be to reconstruct your life in a new country. He’s now using his experience to guide others.
After the Boxing Day Tsunami wiped out everything he and his family had ever known, Pasan started fresh in Australia, moving to Perth in 2015.
Since then, he has become a trusted leader and voice in the culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) community.
He is a master of many trades; an accomplished research analyst, a published author, and has been an office bearer for Western Australian Toastmasters.
And in 2020 he began Manifold Writers Inc – a multicultural writers’ group which encourages and supports authors to pen in their own language.
He is also a devoted husband and proud father.
So, Pasan knows a thing or two about how to juggle many different balls.
“Balancing is an art,” he said.
“Sometimes you have to take a step back from one area in order to keep your eye on the ball in another.”
Next month he will publish his latest accomplishment – The Five Lives – a handbook which guides migrants to find that balance amongst their corporate, social, religious, family and academic lives.
“Most public discussion around integration is concerned with cultural festivities,” he said. “But the small things matter too. And there is little discussion about balancing day-to-day life.”
An out-of-kilter life can have a detrimental effect on a person’s mental health. And a recent study from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that immigrants and refugees were much less likely to seek help for deteriorating mental health.
Compounding this statistic is the fact that someone displaced from their country of origin might have a weaker or non-existent support network in their adopted country.
“The services and resources are there to help, but people aren’t accessing them. I want to start the conversation to find out why,” Pasan said.
He said that The Five Lives is a ‘starting point’ to that broader discussion.
Pasan is hopeful his new handy small-format book, which will officially be launched at 10.30am on Saturday, July 20, at the Perth City Library, will eventually find its way into the hands of new migrants and international students.
The book has a foreword from local member and noted author Dr Tony Buti, who praises Pasan for his “unwavering commitment to helping others find their place in the world”.
“In the journey of life, there are few endeavours as courageous and transformative as leaving behind the familiar to embrace the unknown,” Dr Buti said.
“Through practical advice and exercises for self-reflection. Pasan addresses many facets of the migrant experience and provides ways to navigate the complexities of a new life with confidence and grace.
“But perhaps most importantly, The Five Lives, serves as a source of inspiration – a reminder that regardless of where we come from or where we’re headed, we all possess the power to shape our own destinies and find fulfillment on our own terms.”
For more information, contact pasanmganegama@gmail.com
