Twenty-six year old Achan might be young, but the Sudanese-Australian refugee has lived several lifetimes.
Achan, who fled war-torn Sudan as a child is one of several participants in the new SBS program The Employables. The show takes several serially unemployed contestants from marginalised backgrounds and gives them the tools and support to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
One of seven children, Achan was raised by a single mother. In 2000, her family fled the civil war in Sudan and travelled to Egypt. At the tender age of nine, she was forced into child labour to clean houses to survive – an experience that has had a lasting effect on her.
Creating barista training scheme for people with disadvantaged backgrounds is Achan's business dream. Source: Nigel Wright
“I ended up working as a child to help the family stay within our own house, without becoming homeless,” she told presenter Shammah Dhall in the opening episode of The Employables.
“Some people that I worked for actually threatened me if I don’t clean properly they will take my life.”
Achan’s family arrived in Australia as refugees in 2003. As a young adult, Achan struggled to find work - she would apply for jobs after seeing a vacancy sign in the window or online only to be told there was no job when she appeared to interview in person.
An emotional Achan with presenter Shammah Dhall. Source: Supplied
“I haven’t had any luck with people hiring me. They usually look at the colour of my skin and they just assume I don’t know anything,” she says. 
Achan’s business dream is to create a barista training scheme for those from remote and disadvantaged communities to become self-sufficient.
The participants on The Employables. Source: Nigel Wright
“Now that I am in this position I don’t want anyone to suffer and go through what I went through, because it is heart wrenching.”
'The Employables' premieres Wednesday 22 August at 8.30pm on SBS. Episodes will be available after broadcast anytime, anywhere via SBS On Demand.
