Rohan Samara tells his adoption story to Insight

Keep an eye on SBS' discussion program Insight some time in October, when the issue of adults who were adopted from foreign countries as children will be examined, including the story of Canberra man Rohan Samara.

Rohan first spoke to The Canberra Times about his life experience back in mid-2017. He was just three-month-old and malnourished when he was brought to Australia from Vietnam in a cardboard box in 1975 as part of Operation Babylift, in the dying days of the Vietnam war.

Rohan was adopted by an Australian couple, grew up in a loving family and thrived in Canberra, where he is a fire safety officer at The Canberra Hospital and a well-known community figure through his volunteer work with the rural fire service, Burns Club board and as chair of body corporate of the 355-unit Southport complex in Greenway.

Yet, Rohan still wanted to learn about his birth parents and is still searching for the answers. Insight gave him some pause to think, again, about his adoption story and how he was the same - and very different - to the other adoptees.

"When Insight made a call-out via their social media and my friend suggested I should make contact," Rohan said.

"After having a chat with their associate producer for an hour, they contacted me and asked if I would be willing to be a part of the show.

"There were seven adoptees that they had as guests from all over Australia, as well as America. We all had very similar beginnings, adoption-wise, but very different experiences throughout our lives."

Rohan said host Jenny Brockie helped ease any tension, making it seem they were all engaging in a "a conversation over coffee".

"Jenny asked questions about what we remember from our adoption, how our lives have been with our adopted families and any experiences we have had growing up in Australia with racism," he said. "It was very interesting that most of us being quite young when we came to Australia didn't instantly have an urge or connection to our birth country. There were many differing feelings and timeframes for when people eventually went back.

"Almost everyone, except me, had been fortunate to have found their birth mother or parents with very varying results."

Rohan has made an effort to find his birth family. "I explained that because I was from an orphanage in Vietnam that I always believed I was Vietnamese but having recently been to Cambodia, it seems I may be Cambodian," he said. "At the end of the show, I explained that I was very grateful for my adoptive country and the community that has welcomed me and given so many opportunities and this is why I am very much into the voluntary work and giving back to the community."

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