It came after two years of being "stateless and faceless", after fleeing Iraq without a passport - but with the hope of finding a safe place to call home.

His first attempt to cross the border into Turkey had ended in an ambush, where six members of his group were killed, but he persevered. From Turkey, he sought a perilous boat passage to Greece, where he was met at gunpoint by border guards. But he was able to stay in that country until his Australian refugee visa was granted.

"The welcome I received from a Sydney Airport employee will resonate in my ears for the rest of my life. The words 'Welcome to Australia' meant I was finally accepted, that I'd found my home."

Fast forward a quarter of a century, and the now Wollongong resident was able to celebrate his 50^th birthday recently with his wife and four children.

Not only has he made a wonderful life for himself, he's helped many other refugees rebuild their lives in the region through his involvement in various groups.

His life is literally an open book - as he and others in the community act as 'Living Books' at schools and other public events to spread understanding and acceptance.

And that's the aim of a new volunteer group he's helped establish recently. TEAM4R - or Together Everyone Achieves More for Refugees - advocates for and assists newly arrived refugees.

This Wednesday the group is organising an evening of African, Burmese, Kurdish, Vietnamese, Afghani, Iranian and Arabic song, dance, poetry and film at Wollongong Town Hall. It's part of the city's 2019 Refugee Week celebrations, and supported by Wollongong City Council.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said: "Wollongong is a city with a rich tapestry of cultures and Refugee Week is a celebration of the strength, resilience and talent of our refugee communities".

The free family-friendly event will run from 6-9pm.