Flowers crafted by Yoga Raja from carrots and radishesAnd doves carved from a watermelow.
“I like very much,” Yoga said, “I practice three or four days a week. I like doing faces, flowers, anything I look at I can do.”
Yoga came to Australia to seek asylum from Sri Lanka, via India. It was while studying for a bachelor degree in hotel management that Yoga first learnt his skill. He also learnt to cook and was a professional chef before coming to Sydney. In Australia, he carves decorative sculptures for weddings and functions he grows in demand as word spreads of his skills.
Yoga, however, lives in the Toongabbie community on a bridging visa and this visa status does not allow him to work for money. So he volunteers his art to those who ask him.
“People very much like (my food sculptures) and offer money sometimes, but I cannot (take),” Yoga said. “I would very much like to do this for my future one day.”
Yoga Raja
Yoga has also volunteered his kitchen skills to cook for Settlement Services International’s (SSI) Community Kitchen. The fortnightly Community Kitchen events are a gathering of people who are mostly on bridging visas and who are supported by SSI. Skilled cooks, such as Yoga, prepare food for groups of anywhere between 80 to 200 or more people.
Yoga said he enjoyed volunteering at Community Kitchen, because it helped the com munity and he could practice his English.
SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828
Three humanitarian entrants from Iran, and one from Burma, met recently when they took part in a series of skills development workshops arranged by SSI and the Cultural Performing Arts Network (CPAN) as part of the SSI Arts and Culture Program.
The workshops were run by artistic director of Sydney Sacred Music Festival, Richard Petkovic, specifically for artists who are recently-arrived refugees or people seeking refugee protection in Australia.
On Saturday the group performed at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre as part of the Sydney Sacred Music Festival. They do not yet have a name, but their performance has been called ‘Unity in Music: a showcase of talent in exile’.
The group’s violinist, Seyed Salar Hosseini, originally from Iran, has made such a good impression that he has been invited to perform with the World Music Chamber Orchestra, which is made up of 11 musicians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
It goes to show how beneficial mentorship and support from established musicians in Australia can be for these people who would otherwise have limited connections to, and knowledge of, this country’s music scenes.
Another client being supported by SSI, Mohammad Yukos Hakimi, attended the CPAN workshops to develop his presentation and production skills in singing while playing the dambura, a popular string instrument in Afghanistan where he originated from.
He also made his debut performance, playing solo at the music festival on Saturday, and will perform again this Wednesday (September 10), alongside the Unity in Music group, at SSI’s fortnightly Community Kitchen lunch at Auburn Centre for Community.
Settlement Services International (SSI) is a leading not-for-profit organisation that provides a range of services in the areas of humanitarian settlement, accommodation, asylum seeker assistance, foster care and disability support in NSW. Our vision is to achieve a society that values the diversity of its people and actively provides support to ensure meaningful social and economic participation and to assist individuals and families in reaching their potential.
Monday September 15, 2014
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For media enquiries please contact:
SSI Marketing & Communications Officer, Alice Ellis: 0401 473 406
MFCS was established by Settlement Services International (SSI) in 2013. The service operates according to the principle that children in Out-of-Home Care who are supported to learn about and maintain a connection to their culture, religion and language have better outcomes as they grow and develop than those who are not supported in this way
“Being able to communicate in the child’s first language, and maintaining their cultural traditions helps children understand where they have come from and helps them develop their sense of belonging and identity in their new foster care arrangement.”
MFCS currently supports 79 children, 67 of whom are with families from the same cultural background.
Mr Noujaim said foster carers who did not share the same cultural heritage as their foster children were supported in activities such as learning to cook culturally familiar meals for them, and connecting with local services that offer activities such as storytelling and games in other languages.
The MFCS is the first of its kind in NSW to develop and deliver a culturally appropriate model of Out-of-Home Care for children and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. MFCS currently operates in Sydney and Newcastle.
The MFCS is staffed by bilingual managers and case workers with cross cultural and Out-of-Home Care casework skills and knowledge, who are committed to helping the service achieve positive outcomes and experiences for its foster carers and the children and young people they support.
“With bilingual and bicultural support provided to foster carers, the majority of foster children have formed better and more positive connections with their birth parents and families since being with the MCFS.”
“While we have a strong focus on recruiting foster carers from CALD backgrounds, we like to hear from anyone with a genuine interest in providing safe and caring homes for children in care, in particular siblings, and ensuring that their cultural connections are maintained.”
MFCS works closely with culturally specific and mainstream community organisations and community leaders, women’s groups, religious organisations and other relevant sector services in the recruitment and support of its CALD foster carers.
They came from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Sierra Leone, Turkey, Nepal and Tajikistan. The 20-odd men and teenagers who met one another on a dimly lit park in western Sydney had no money between them to join an established club, so called themselves Auburn United FC.
In the lead up to the big day, Gunners player Shabbir Hussain, who came to Australia from Quetta, Pakistan, said that just being able to play soccer this year had changed his life. Shabbir, 32, who was a police officer in Quetta, fled his remaining family and home after a series of targeted raids and bomb attacks by extremists killed many of his fellow officers and friends.
“Playing soccer has changed my life because before I was feeling alone,” he said. “There was no one to talk and share my life’s tragedy with. Now I have good friends in our team who are my family. I can sit and share everything I had in my life.”
Many of the team members are supported to live in the community by not-for-profit organisation Settlement Services International’s (SSI) humanitarian settlement programs. SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said they showed such a passion for soccer that it became important to help them join a club and competition.
“These men came from extreme circumstances in crises around the world that most of us could not imagine,” Ms Roumeliotis said. “The team’s achievements this year have really defied the odds. Many of them are on bridging visas that do not allow them to work – they live on an average of $32 a day – so at the start of the year they had no club and no money to join one.
“After a campaign to find sponsorship for them, a number of very generous supporters, including the Newington Gunners Soccer Club came forward to help. The club has been very supportive and sensitive to the needs of this group and we can’t thank them or the other sponsors enough.
“The benefits that come from participating in community activities like soccer shouldn’t be overlooked. It has given these men a boost to their confidence, kept them healthy and connected them with a wonderful community soccer club. Now a championship title is in their sights.”
The Gunners’ club secretary Ben Nilsson said everyone at the club was very proud of the team. “Finishing first in their competition is an outstanding achievement, but from a club’s point of view, they have been a dream team to manage,” he said. “They have volunteered in all club duties including the canteen. They have brought an awareness of the refugee situation to the executive of the club, which has in turn filtered down through the club. We do not believe we had any racial issues in the past, but our interaction with these men has hardened our resolve to accept people for who they are, no matter what they look like or where they are from.”
The Newington Gunners AAM6 team, as it is officially called, finished the season on top of the table in the Granville and Districts Soccer Football Association Open Men’s second division competition.
Grand Final: 2:45pm, Saturday, September 13
Location: Ron Mondy Park, (formerly Guildford Oval) Guildford.
SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828
“Staying in a different place every night, and with strangers, it was hard,” said Dilber. “I didn’t know how to get help, and I feel very lonely here without my family.”
An Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minor is a young person under the age of 18 years without a parent or guardian who is a refugee under Australia’s Offshore Humanitarian Program or has been granted a Protection Visa in Australia.
Research shows that youth from a refugee background are up to 10 times more likely to experience homelessness than Australian born youth [1].
SSI Manager Humanitarian Services, David Keegan said the organisation’s reason for filming ‘Broken Time’ was to highlight the distinct challenges faced by young refugees who find themselves in this situation. The production of Broken Time was supported by Yfoundations, a peak body representing young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
“Many unaccompanied youth have been separated from their family due to violent conflict or persecution, and have experienced or witnessed significant trauma, instability and a broken, if any, education,” said Mr Keegan.
“Becoming homeless, in a new country, is a double loss for them. Challenges associated with adjusting to a new culture and language, compounded with a lack of knowledge about how to access support services and employment, create a highly vulnerable group.”
Broken Time also explores some of the commonality of youth homelessness through Ali’s encounter with a young local girl he meets on the street.
Director and producer of Broken Time Barry Gamba, developed the script through collaborations with refugees, UHM and homeless youth, who drew on their experiences to inform the narrative.
“The story contrasts two main characters and the experiences that have resulted in their homelessness,” said Mr Gamba.
“One is rendered homeless through a history of domestic violence and wants nothing to do with her family, while the other is homeless as a result of political violence, and would do anything to be reunited with his family again.”
Mr Keegan said that it’s a unique predicament that UHMs face.
“The specific issues and barriers they can encounter require specialist training for people who work with young refugees and with homeless youth,” said Mr Keegan.
“SSI has developed specialist training for its case managers to help them provide support for UHMs. Obviously, not having the support of their families, they have different support needs than other refugees who arrive as humanitarian entrants.”
Incredibly, this adversity highlights the resilience that many young refugees possess.
“They have a lot to negotiate, but the situation often highlights their skills in adaptability and resourcefulness, which manifests in their determination to succeed here.”
Dilber enjoyed his first acting experience, drawing on his knowledge from a Diploma in Communication he did when living in Islamabad.
“I hope this story will help people understand and respect the journey that refugees make,” he said.
UHM program operates in a changing environment and cohorts may change in line with changing international trends and government policy. As at June 2012 there were 865 UHM in Australia predominantly 16 to 17-year-old males with the majority coming form from Afghanistan [2].
The film has been produced as an educational tool for high schools, TAFE and organisations working with young people from a refugee background and in the homelessness and housing sector.
For organisations interested in getting a copy of the film, please email hmuir@ssi.org.au.
1 Finding Home In Victoria (2010) The Centre for Multicultural Youth
2 Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minors in Australia, MYAN Policy Paper 2012
SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828
SSI Manager, Humanitarian Services David Keegan said that despite the disappointment of Mohamadreza not being able to fulfil his potential, it was pleasing to see how he had been supported by the community. “Obviously Mohamadreza would be disappointed at not being in Glasgow, but he has made some positive connections with people in Sydney, which have helped him remain positive,” Mr Keegan said. “Those connections and that support are fundamental to the health and wellbeing of people like Mohamadreza who are seeking asylum.”
Mohamadreza still has his sights set on the 2016 Olympics. “Every day I’m running, bodybuilding, wrestling, all day,” he said speaking in English. “In future maybe I get citizenship and make next Olympics and get medal for Australia. Every day I will train four, five hours for the future.”
Sport is his passion but Mohamadreza didn’t put all of his eggs in that basket. He also has bachelor degrees in mechanical engineering and physical education, gained in his birth-country Iran. But his athletic talents shone through. In Iran he was a gold medalist four times in the national competition and he won a gold medal at the 2004 Asian Championships.
Despite his qualifications and talent, Mohamadreza said he could not continue to live in Iran. In Australia he cannot work while his application for refugee status is assessed.
Mohamadreza was unlikely to gain citizenship and qualify in time for the Games but his network of friends hoped he would. Nicole Ansty at Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre in Baulkham Hills said the business had happily sponsored Mohamadreza.
“He came to us and said he was training for the Commonwealth Games but couldn’t get any support, so we helped,” Ms Ansty said. “He’s an awesome guy, everyone here loves him. He just goes out of his way to help people around the gym. When he went to Melbourne and won gold, he didn’t big note himself, he was still as humble as always.”
SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828
Mahdia is now in Year 11 at Holroyd High School and looking forward to sitting for her Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR). She wants to study medicine or midwifery at university. After years of isolation from a school system, Mahdia has quickly caught up on her education through hard work and enthusiasm. Her proud mother Fatima said her daughter spent all of her spare time with head down in her books.
But Mahdia’s challenges continue. She cannot afford a computer and she shares a bedroom with her mother. Mahdia completes school work and studies at a library but cannot always access the public computers nor work as late as she would like. “If I want to get to uni I have to have a very, very high ATAR,” she said, “so I have to try my hardest because I don’t have some of the facilities that other students have.”
Despite these obstacles, Mahdia’s hard work was recognised by Auburn Diversity Services last month when the organisation presented her with a Western Sydney Refugee Youth Award for Academic Achievement.
Mahdia and her family have lived in the community for more than 12 months while their application for refugee status is assessed. They have been supported by Settlement Services International’s (SSI) Community Support Program during that time.
SSI Manager, Humanitarian Services David Keegan said Mahdia’s circumstances made her enthusiasm and achievements even more striking. “Mahdia and her family can’t work in Australia while their refugee status is assessed, so they can’t afford to support her with many resources, like as a computer, internet connection, text books or even a desk,” he said.
“But she obviously has that drive to achieve that is often endemic in people who have escaped difficult circumstances overseas to find relative freedom and opportunity in Australia.”
SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828
“The Woman at Risk visa can be accessed by women living outside their home country, who have lost a male relative or provider, and who are in danger of victimisation, harassment or abuse because of their gender. A recent report by the UNHCR suggested 145,000 women fleeing the Syrian conflict alone could be experiencing those circumstances right now. We will need to be prepared to support those women that Australia resettles through its ongoing humanitarian intake program.”
The forum today brought together more than 120 sector specialists and service providers to raise awareness of the specific barriers and issues impacting Women at Risk, many of whom are also single mothers.
Assistant Minister Immigration and Border Patrol & Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women; Senator Michaelia Cash remarked in her opening address that she was proud Australia had a program that welcomed vulnerable women and their children to Australia with open arms.
“In terms of the Women at Risk visa, refugee women particularly are at far greater risk than others and these women are recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as the most vulnerable women in the world,” she said. “They have suffered exploitation from security threats, sexual and gender-based violence torture and exploitation. In recognition of this, the Australian Government said in 1989 that it would put in place a specific program to recognise these women.
“We are one of the few countries in the world that has a specific allocation for women at risk, which is something we can be very, very proud of. But it’s one thing to say we are prepared to be a safe haven, but as we all know, when these women and children arrive in Australian it is but the beginning. We need to ensure that we have the appropriate services in place that they need.”
Professor Eileen Pittaway, Honorary Associate of UNSW Centre for Refugee Research, called on government and non-government service providers to break the “silos” of support and link housing, education, employment and counselling services. Because each significantly affected the other, she said.
“As we can imagine, it’s very difficult for children to get a decent education or for a woman to get a job, if they have to move three or four times in a few months,” Prof. Pittaway said, “and if you have to worry about putting food on the table constantly then you are not going to do well in counselling sessions.”
SSI Manager, Housing Services Patrick Yeung announced that he had been working on a program to help relieve the housing burden on women at risk and their families.
“As we rely on the private market for long term accommodation, our clients may currently have to pay up to 55 per cent of their household incomes in rents,” he said. “It’s already a very hard road for women at risk, but the settlement journey becomes a roller coaster ride once they have exhausted their 6 months stay in supported accommodation.
“I have been working with housing partners to explore affordable long-term housing assistance to women at risk and now we can confidently say we have a solid plan to provide a pathway for women at risk to appropriate and affordable housing that costs closer to 25 per cent of incomes. By September we hope to have begun placing Women at Risk into these housing places.”
The forum concluded by making recommendations for the sector, which included:
Work together to secure more funding and resources;
Consult with women at risk to deliver the services they need and want;
Support women at risk to have a public voice;
Highlight the need for specialist, targeted services by professionals who have shared cultural, linguistic and refugee backgrounds;
Link those services to provide a holistic approach to support;
Supporting women at risk to feel respected and dignified with pathways in constructive occupations.
Media enquiries:
SSI Online Communications Coordinator, Callan Lawrence 0416 895 076
After being detained at the remote Curtin Immigration Detention Centre in Western Australia and experiencing the uncertainty of life on a Temporary Protection Visa, Ali enrolled at Holroyd High School and continued his studies, graduating with a Master’s Degree.
The Refugee Week launch will also feature a speech by RCOA President Phil Glendenning, presentation of the NSW Humanitarian Awards and entertainment by a Tamil group.
RCOA chief executive officer said the launch was an important opportunity for the Western Sydney community to celebrate the achievements of refugees in local communities.
“Since Federation, Australia has welcomed more than 800,000 humanitarian arrivals, who have played a vital role in building vibrant, diverse and supportive communities.
“The decision to launch Refugee Week in Granville reflects the positive impact refugee settlement is playing in the social, economic and community life of Australia’s third-largest economy.”
For further information about Refugee Week (Sunday 15 June to Saturday 21 June), local events, Ambassador profiles and more, visit www.refugeeweek.org.au
Media contact: Andrew Williams 0488 035 535
STARTTerS Early Childhood program for trauma recovery and development
What started informally as a mums and bubs group for refugees has developed into a unique model for treating trauma in young children, as well as their parents.
Described as an “integrative sensory motor music therapy”, STARTTerS is an early childhood program for trauma recovery and development that targets 0-6 year olds. As a result it is also helping the parents and carers that accompany their children to the treatment sessions.
NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) Early Childhood Counsellor and Music Therapist Rosemary Signorelli said she was not aware of another program of this kind.
“STARTTerS uses a variety of techniques and activities that seek to reverse and overcome issues of trauma that children have faced during their short but troubled lifetime, said Ms Signorelli.
“What also makes the program unique is the use of interpreters that engage the parents as well, and builds their trust and confidence in the program.”
Ms Signorelli explained that intervention in the first five years of a child’s life is vital in helping overcome effects of trauma and prevent future mental health issues.
“A nursery rhyme such as ‘incy wincy spider’ has a great theme of resilience and together with the finger movements it’s a simple and engaging song for the children to participate in.”
Ms Signorelli is aware that the program is based on western models of parent participation and praise, and that some parents find it difficult to participate if they are feeling overwhelmed or exhausted, although they can still learn strategies from the sessions which they can take home to use with their child.
“Many parents are dealing with their own physical and mental health issues and their recovery is usually a lot slower than the child’s. Providing them with individual counselling is another unique aspect of the program and if necessary they are referred on to other programs such as Brighter Futures (also being presented at Cultural Shift).”
The program has seen 40 individual children and 45 families since it began in 2011.
Educational expectations and its interface with child wellbeing
Education can be viewed as the only pathway to a stable and secure life for people coming to Australia from other cultures. This can lead parents to put undue pressure on children to perform.
NSW Family and Community Services Community Program Officer Lynn Cohen said problems caused by this cultural pressure were increasingly observed by department staff. This led them to develop a new program targeting educational expectations among specific cultural groups, which she will present at the symposium.
“The issues presented to Community Services as an increase in the notifications received for Chinese and Korean speaking parents physically abusing children because of poor educational performances,” she said.
“So the program has been developed for Chinese and Korean speaking parents but it could be for parents of all Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds (CALD). And often there has been demand from people saying to us, can you do this for the Pacific community or Arab community.”
Ms Cohen’s team worked with education and child development experts from Chinese and Korean speaking cultural backgrounds to develop the program but she said the template could be delivered across CALD groups.
The cultural dynamics underlying the problems were complex, she said, but program facilitators had found the communities receptive to the program.
“We learnt that in the Chinese context, for instance, they came from the environment where you get one child and they get one chance,” she said. “In the Australian context there are many ways to access university and parents need to know this, so that if a child isn’t top of their class, or top of their preschool, it’s not their last chance.”
The team behind the program was the winner of the 2014 Mary Dimech Award for new initiatives, outstanding practice and work in community services.
Supporting young people from a refugee background through settlement
Young people from refugee backgrounds can experience unique challenges, including the horrors of war, abuses and expectations to provide for and lead a family in the early stages of their lives. Settlement Services
International (SSI) Manager Humanitarian Services David Keegan said these experiences created challenges during early settlement for young people, who benefited from a holistic understanding of their needs and circumstances. However, it can be difficult, he said, to understand these complicated backgrounds and cultural challenges.
Mr Keegan has developed an information and training resource, Keeping Their Hopes Alive, in cooperation with Multicultural Youth Affairs Network (MYAN) NSW and Youth Action and Policy Association NSW that is a guide to better understanding these specific needs of young refugees. A workshop on this resource will be presented at the symposium.
Mr Keegan said a large portion of humanitarian entrants to Australia were under the age of 25, and between 14 and 25 years, so special consideration should be given to their needs.
“An example of a common issue we see comes from the experience of young people who tend to settle quicker than their parents,” he said. “They learn the language quicker, make new friends quicker and are generally better supported through education. So what we see is a family dependent on a young person, which can cause conflict.”
Mr Keegan said the workshop he will present is based in research and will work through case studies of the experiences of young refugees and new migrants.
MOSAIC: Solving refugee and migrants everyday legal problems
Legal issues for refugees and migrants can escalate because of their limited understanding of Australia’s system, their limited English skills and financial resources. Migrant Outreach Services, Advice, Information, Community Education (MOSAIC) is a new program of Justice Connect that provides refugees and migrants with free legal advice and representation.
Manager and Principal Lawyer at MOSAIC Liz Simpson said simple legal issues could cascade into major problems for refugees and migrants who aren’t knowledgeable about the system or availability of help. They also often find themselves taken advantage of, she said, because of their vulnerability.
“We see clients and give advice on a one-off basis but we are also able to see clients on an on-going basis if they have merit,” Ms Simpson said. “Because we are a legal service seeing clients regularly, we are also able to target recurring problem areas.
“We have been seeing a lot of mobile phone issues at the moment, because asylum seekers sign up to really expensive contracts and aren’t able to pay them. We have had a lot of success having them waived but now we are also talking to the service providers to ask why these people were signed up to services they can’t afford.
“There are also a lot of employment issues, with people being ripped-off, being under-paid, not being paid or being dismissed for no apparent reason.”
MOSAIC assists clients through these problems and others. Ms Simpson said common legal problems for this sector of the community include fines, mobile phone and electricity bills, motoring accidents, accommodation and employment issues.
Outreach workers from the Refugee Advice and Casework Service also attend sessions with MOSAIC to offer immigration advice. Both organisations face funding challenges and the problem of building awareness of their services within the community and settlement sector. Ms Simpson will present on the MOSAIC service at the symposium.
And doves carved from a watermelow. 
Yoga Raja