Canberran Farishta Arzoo carries a heavier load than most. But she is determined.
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The 22-year-old moved from Pakistan to Australia with her mother and two younger siblings in 2015. As the eldest daughter, and with her mother speaking little English, it has fallen on Ms Arzoo to help her family settle in Canberra.
Ms Arzoo has also taken on full-time study of a fashion design diploma at the Canberra Institute of Technology, a sometimes challenging pursuit after completing a Certificate IV in Spoken and Written English last year.
Some of the burden will be eased when she receives one of 45 scholarships from Canberra Refugee Support.
"The scholarship will help with my fees," Ms Arzoo said.
"I hope to have enough left over to buy some art materials and fashion resources to use in my course."
World Refugee Week begins Sunday. Canberra Refugee Support will host its scholarship ceremony on Tuesday, awarding grants and certificates to students living in the Canberra region aged six and older and of a refugee or asylum seeker background.
The scholarships aim to recognise meritorious performance and encourage and support outstanding refugee students.
Canberra Refugee Support president Doug Hynd paid tribute to the students receiving the awards.
"These awards will help young refugees get the education they need to become citizens who contribute to the ACT and advance our community, economy and social life in so many ways," he said.
"Canberra Refugee Support is proud of these young people and proud of the ACT community for providing the support for these scholarships."
Canberra Institute of Technology year 12 student Akur Thiong Akur will also receive a scholarship at Tuesday's ceremony.
He was born in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya after his family escaped what is now South Sudan. In 2004, his father died from injuries inflicted in his attempt to flee with his family to safety.
The family's 2007 application for settlement in South Sudan was cancelled after the government deemed them traitors. They finally arrived in Australia in 2017, with Mr Akur determined to become a lawyer to help those still living in Kakuma.
"I will use the scholarship to help pay my fees," Mr Akur said.
"I will also use it to help with my older sister’s education, and I want to help my cousins who are still in the Kakuma Refugee Camp.
"They don’t have any money and so they can’t access education there.
"Ultimately I want to be a lawyer to help bring justice to people in refugee camps."
Tuesday's ceremony will be held at the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre in Civic.
