Faten, a former refugee who fled to Lebanon from her birth country, Iraq, says that since arriving in Australia she feels like she has been treated as a human for the first time. Faten has two siblings with disability and an elderly mother, who are now receiving treatments they were in desperate need of.

A Refugee Week event organised by two Sydney immigration lawyers has raised about $9,000 for SSI’s Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative. The fund-raising event organised by Adriana Mercado and Marina Brizar, of Playfair Visa and Migration Services, featured a photo exhibition of former refugees who now live in Australia, as well as speeches, drinks and canapés.

Former refugee Hikmat Shah has been given a ‘CoAct Local Heroes’ award by CoAct Ambassador, Olympic and World Champion, Matthew Cowdrey alongside Federal MP Chris Hayes and nominator SSI representatives at a ceremony today at Parliament House, Canberra.

Meet Hakim, dancer and asylum seeker Hakim, 23, left a lot behind when he had to flee Burma, including all of his family and friends. But after arriving in Australia, he picked up something new that is keeping him mentally and physically strong – dancing.

Meet Damon Amb, artist and asylum seeker “I started more than 20 years ago on my dad’s old camera, a manual Konica. I’d save up all my money to buy film and take photos of my surroundings, my people, my life in Iran. At the end of my military service, I did an Advanced Diploma in Photography at Iran’s Jahad Institute. I ended up working as a photographer in an advertising agency.

SSI case manager and humanitarian award winner, Shabeera Zia, had shown how each of us could make an impact on the lives of refugees, CEO Violet Roumeliotis said today. Ms Zia was presented with the STARTTS Youth Humanitarian award at the Refugee Week launch in Wollongong on June 12.

SSI case manager and humanitarian award winner, Shabeera Zia, had shown how each of us could make an impact on the lives of refugees, CEO Violet Roumeliotis said today. Ms Zia was presented with the STARTTS Youth Humanitarian award at the Refugee Week launch in Wollongong on June 12.

In the lead up to Refugee Week 2015, on Friday June 13, Settlement Services International (SSI) launched its Welcome to Sydney kit, an information resource for its refugee and asylum seeker clients. Thomas Albrecht, UNHCR Regional Representative, launched the kit before an audience of representatives from service providers for new arrivals, government departments, humanitarian settlement providers, SSI refugee clients and Migrant Resource Centre members.

SSI case manager Shabeera Zia has been awarded the STARTTS Youth Humanitarian award at the Refugee Week launch event in Wollongong today, June 12. The theme for Refugee Week 2015 is ‘With courage let us all combine’, taken from the second verse of Australia’s national anthem.

Settlement Services International (SSI) today announced it is the lead organisation in a consortium selected to deliver settlement services for refugees and migrants in NSW. This follows yesterday’s announcement by the Department of Social Services of the service providers chosen to deliver the three-year national Settlement Services Program.

SSI case manager Shabeera Zia has been awarded the STARTTS Youth Humanitarian award at the Refugee Week launch event in Wollongong today, June 12. The theme for Refugee Week 2015 is ‘With courage let us all combine’, taken from the second verse of Australia’s national anthem.

Settlement Services International (SSI), a leading not-for-profit humanitarian settlement organisation, has welcomed as significant and positive the announcement by the NSW State Government to sign up to the Federal Safe Haven Enterprise Scheme.

I want to talk about an African woman, a single mother, who has five children and had never set foot outside of her small village until she was forced to flee as a refugee. The humanitarian crisis that gripped her home included all the horrors that are too common to refugees around the world.

Welcome to the SSI Food Blog. Whether they are SSI employees, volunteers, refugees or people seeking asylum, the people featured here all share a love of food. One of the many benefits of multiculturalism is delicious food, so let’s enjoy!

During Volunteer Week, on May 12, SSI held a lunch to celebrate and express its huge gratitude to the wonderful volunteers who help the organisation support its clients every day. SSI has about 170 volunteers who have provided a great range of support.

During Refugee Week, on Friday June 19, photographs documenting the experiences of refugees will be featured at Courage, an exhibition at Sydney Dance Lounge, Walsh Bay. The public is invited to attend this exhibition, and enjoy some drinks and canapes, to raise funds for SSI Ignite Small Business Start-ups, an enterprise facilitation program for refugees.

All parents know that raising children can be a challenging experience. So you can imagine that raising a family can be quite overwhelming for a newly arrived refugee or migrant family adjusting to life in a new countryfar from family, friends and networks, with a new language and school system.

Settlement Services International has marked a major milestone in its 15-year history with today’s endorsement of a new Board of Directors which includes – for the first time – three independent members. Among other changes, SSI announced it has adopted a new governance structure, becoming a Company Limited by Guarantee.

If you are on Newstart allowance, between Monday May 25 and Friday June 5, you can choose who your employment service provider will be. If you need a change, SSI is a provider that will support you through the employment journey.