Over the past 12 months, much has changed in Australia and around the world. Like no other wide-reaching disaster in recent memory, the pandemic has brought many underlying societal issues to the fore, including systemic racism, wealth inequalities, and worrying trends in political leadership around the world.
Within days of the anniversary of COVID-19 arriving in Australia, it was announced that we had surpassed 100 million cases of the virus globally. The practical effect of strong, political and social leadership, which represents the needs and values of the population, is clear.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s apology for his government’s handling of the pandemic illustrates the boiling point many nations have reached, and the impact political discourse can have on public actions.
Despite several hiccups, Australia has done an incredible job in coming together to reduce the impact of the pandemic on our population. By respecting lockdowns, mask mandates and social distancing, our country has emerged from 2020 with relatively small numbers of COVID-19 community transmissions and deaths.
Our collective cooperation and solidarity have not just been a win for the hard-working medical teams, or government policy, but for all Australians who have put others first over the past 12 months.
For many people living in Western societies, the COVID-19 pandemic was the first time they had experienced an all-encompassing, existential threat to their individual and collective physical, economic, and societal health.
I know for myself, and the people around me, this sense of losing a degree of control over our freedom of movement and general lives because of necessary precautions has taken a toll. Life did not stop, and these stressors were simply layered over our pre-existing responsibilities and challenges.
In times of crisis, where our physical, economic, and mental health is at risk, it is all too easy to blame the other. Many attempt to self-soothe by simplifying and shifting responsibility for the situation we face.
Instead of using division and blame, we can regain a sense of control over our lives by playing a role, no matter how small or large, in the direction of our community and democracy. Connection and individual accountability are important if we want to emerge from the past year a better society than we began.
A cornerstone of SSI’s advocacy since early 2020 has been to look at COVID-19 as a reset button for our society. Not only has the pandemic highlighted hidden and visible inequalities, it has also provided us with the opportunity to change the structures that create them and build back better in our recovery.
As the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine begins next month, this will be front of mind. Throughout the pandemic, vulnerable communities have at times been overlooked. In the coming months, we will continue to advocate for these communities, to receive fair access to the vaccine.
Actively contributing to the world around us is a fantastic way to break down social barriers, reduce isolation and gain a sense of fulfilment. It is impossible, and in many ways unhealthy, to put pressure on ourselves to be champions for all injustices, but we can take small steps to be the change we want to see in the world.
There are many things you can do to be an active member of your community and our democracy. These include getting to know and spending time with your neighbours, educating yourself on the issues faced in your local government area, attending a town hall meeting, making use of and respecting public spaces, challenging your perspectives through open discussions with people with different views, and leading by example by taking steps to nourish your mental and physical health.
By being active rather than passive members of society and being aware of the motives, struggles and goals of others, we can regain a sense of control and understanding of the world around us.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that as a community we can do this. As a collective we have had to work to protect our most vulnerable during the pandemic and push back against divisive, hateful attitudes. Our challenges may not be over, particularly as we explore vaccine distribution, but I am confident that there are positive developments ahead if we all do our part in steering us in the right direction.
Iraqi refugee, Basima Sharwena, attended the online workshops.
Together they delivered an online women’s health and wellbeing program, hosted online September–December 2020 to accommodate COVID-19 health and safety regulations.
The workshops were created to support vulnerable refugee women who were susceptible to experiencing isolation throughout the pandemic.
Yasmin Mohamed, a co-facilitator and representative of LWHC, said the program targeted newly arrived women from different Arabic speaking backgrounds and sought to engage them in activities that raised their awareness about health.
“Conducting the program virtually was a way to facilitate social inclusion for the women, despite COVID-19,” she said.
The workshops, held each Friday, originally only had four participants but quickly grew to 15.
Various topics were covered in the sessions, including Zumba and healthy diets to mental wellbeing, information about TAFE short courses and understanding domestic violence.
Basima Sharwena, a 67-year-old Iraqi refugee who attended the workshops, said they were enjoyable and informative.
“I was interested in the health and healthy food sessions and exercises,” she said.
“I also liked the TAFE and education session, especially when they explained there’s an opportunity for people of all ages to study and complete courses through TAFE.
“I have a degree in Economics in Iraq and I want to continue studying in Australia.”
Danitza Castro, a facilitator from the Tenant Participation and Community Engagement sector of Mission Australia, said the workshops were a success.
“This group had been amazing and shown true growth through the increasing numbers of participants,” she said.
“We saw the increasing confidence of participants using different technology and their growing confidence in learning and being able to access services relevant to their situation.”
Initially, organisers were concerned about the attendees’ ability to access the workshops online.
According to SSI’s ‘Foundations for belonging: A snapshot of newly arrived refugees’ report, 51% of women from refugee backgrounds surveyed reported experiencing difficulties when navigating essential government and online services. Through effective training, the issue was addressed.
SSI Case Manager Parcina Girgis assisted in organising the event and said that the experience increased women’s confidence in using technology.
“We spent long hours in training the women to access the platform and benefit from it.
“It was a great opportunity for our women to learn to use an online platform in the uncertain time of COVID-19.”
Ms Sharwena said that although it was initially challenging, she was able to overcome that barrier.
“It was very difficult for me, in the beginning, to participate in the group online. Now I’ve learned how to do it, I feel very confident to practise and communicate with them.”
Ms Girgis said she was grateful to all those who helped bring the program to fruition, including Ms Mohammed, Ms Castro, the service providers involved, Amer Bahi and the HSP case managers who encouraged the participants to attend (Sajeeda Mehrabi, Amna Khurram, Firoozeh Dorranian, Christine Keogh, Nour Aletah and Cigdem Uydasoglu.)
Diana Hassan has a part-time job at Tassal Tassie Salmon.
The sisters have only been in their new country for a short time, arriving in Australia in August 2019. They sought refuge in Jordan for four years before this, due to Iraq’s political instability.
Diana Hassan is finishing her Certificate 4 in Interior Design at TAFE and has a part-time job at Tassal Tassie Salmon.
Similarly, 22-year-old Sandra Hassan completed a Nursing Assistant Course at TAFE and is employed part-time at Lebanese restaurant, La Mono.
Both sisters are fluent in English, as, during their time in Jordan, they were diligent in acquiring speaking proficiency in the language.
“We couldn’t study or work there (in Jordan), we were just waiting to travel… So I worked on my English language before I came to Australia. Speaking English has made me more confident to do things here,” Diana Hassan said.
Ms Hassan’s ambition and fluent English led to her employment at Tassal, where she works two days a week.
“I actually got this job from the SSI staff, a caseworker. She sent me to see if I’m interested and I said yes because I want to get any work experience I can in Australia.
“I like to try something new… Especially because it’s about seafood and I had no idea what kind of work that is,” she said.
For Ms Hassan, her work at Tassal is more than a source of income. It is enabling her interpersonal and professional skills.
“I’m working under pressure, that’s the biggest skill I’m learning. We have to pack the seafood and measure them to a specific scale. We have to work very fast.
“I can use these skills in a future job: dealing with people, communicating in a new country and working with people from different cultures. I think it’s good for me in my future employment,” she said.
Her younger sister Sandra Hassan, who also has advanced English skills, is succeeding in her new workplace, La Mono, a restaurant her SSI case manager scouted for her in the hospitality industry in November.
“The people there are kind and help me a lot.
“The skills are useful to me. I’m on the cashier, so I’m becoming more comfortable with money. It’s going to become much easier for me to speak with people… To get more confident talking with different people from other cultures,” she said.
Sandra Hassan is employed part-time at Lebanese restaurant, La Mono.
While the sisters are flourishing in their respective workplaces, they are also enrolled in tertiary education programs to foster their future career plans.
Following a creative pursuit, Diana Hassan is in the final stages of her Certificate 4 in Interior Design at TAFE. She later plans to complete a Diploma in this field, followed by a Bachelor of Arts Degree.
“I found out it’s better to learn new skills at TAFE first, because it’s more practical, especially when learning about software and 3D designs… Once I finish that I will do what I want at university.
“I hope to be an interior designer. After I did my Certificate 4, I got more information about interior design and learnt more details about how I can work in the industry.”
For Sandra Hassan, since completing her Certificate 3 in Nursing Assistance at TAFE, her future career plan is also focused on seeking higher education.
“The first thing I want to do is to keep studying, even if I finish a BA of Nursing, I then went to study more to learn more about it.
“I really like to take care and spend time with people who are old and children. I like to care for people who need and want help. I think nursing is the thing that includes everything I like.”
The duo is showing signs of a successful and dynamic future. Both of the women attributed their early success in Australia to the support of SSI.
“SSI has helped us a lot as a family at the beginning. Everything we want, we just call them, and they answer,” said Sandra Hassan.
“I feel there’s someone or people are behind me supporting me whenever I feel I don’t know where to go,” said Diana Hassan.
*The women’s surname has been changed to protect their anonymity.
*Go to https://homeaffairs.gov.au/ for more information.
People from refugee backgrounds at Western Sydney University learning about local tertiary education pathways.
A multilingual program of workshops was developed by SSI’s Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) Orientation Team, with WSU supporting people navigating university enrolment.
WSU’s Widening Participation Engagement Marketing Community Project Officer, Bronwyn Williams, said the workshops were adapted to suit an online format to keep delivering the program when COVID-19 placed restrictions on large face-to-face interactions.
“With young people, the online format works well as this is a demographic that likes to do everything from the comfort of their own home,” she said.
Four workshops had 120 participants from an array of cultural backgrounds, including members from the Arabic, Persian and African communities, who were grouped into language cohorts.
Nihal Al-Rahmani, a 21-year-old Iraqi refugee who is a part of the HSP program, attended a workshop that was translated into Arabic. She said being able to access the tertiary pathways workshop empowered her to study.
“I found it very helpful because most of the information was new to me. I didn’t know I could go to university straight away … I thought I needed to do a certain course before I could enrol. It was great to learn I can go straight to university.”
While there were concerns about hosting the workshops online, participants still gained valuable information.
Solomon Fantahun Wube, a 40-year-old Ethiopian refugee, attended one of the workshops in English. After improving his English speaking skills at TAFE he plans to attend university.
“It was good for me to get information, so now I know what I need to do to go to university,” he said.
Since the workshops finished in October, 10 participants have contacted local universities. The universities accommodate the students’ needs, with support offered from SSI for the entire application process.
Ms Al-Rahmani, who is currently deciding between enrolling into business administration or health science at WSU, said that she found the process valuable.
“At the beginning, I was lost,” she said.
“SSI helped me to do my resume and assisted me to navigate pathways to university. They told me what courses are available, how to enrol, and provided me with information from the orientation and case management team.”
Collaboration on higher education pathways has been part of the collaboration between WSU and SSI since 2017.
In the past, the SSI team would take participants to “Taster Days”, where newly arrived refugees would meet the WSU team and get introduced to the university.
“The WSU and SSI partnership has been in the works for a few years, but this year has been a particularly impressive turnout,” said Dr Alfred Mupenzi, who specialises in refugee communities and is a co-facilitator of the workshops.
He said that program’s outcomes already showed promising results, with a growing demand for more workshops.
“It’s worked very well so far. Everyone has a different journey and we try to capture that with the way we facilitate, both during the workshops and in our follow up communications.”
To get involved, contact, Joudy Lazkany on jlazkany@ssi.org.au.
Roben Noonoo arrived in Australia as a refugee in February 2020.
Now he’s already making plans to establish his family business in his new home.
The Humanitarian Settlement Program, funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs* and delivered by Settlement Services International (SSI), was able to provide Mr Noonoo with a new life after he fled his home in Iraq due to the country’s political instability.
While living in Iraq, Mr Noonoo completed his tertiary studies in media and communications and worked for a cosmetic company.
Steering away from his qualifications, he developed a new passion for business. He went into a partnership with his brother and together they took over their father’s company that specialised in selling dried fruit – specifically dates.
“My father and grandfather all worked in dates. They worked in a traditional way.
“I developed the business by having a food lab where I would be innovative. The dates I sold had things like pistachio and almonds in them.”
Originally the dates were sold from a small shop at the local markets. Through Mr Noonoo’s development of the business, they started selling their dates to upscale stores and online.
“I created a brand for myself. I was well-known with a good reputation.”
With a deep sense of pride and an unwavering ambition for the survival of his company, Mr Noonoo plans to restart his business in Australia with the support of SSI’s Ignite® program.
“I had this dream even before coming to Australia. At SSI they have a division that can help you when you have a business idea. “I got in contact with them and am starting to understand and research what I can do to make this happen.”
“I got in contact with them and am starting to understand and research what I can do to make this happen.”
He has dedicated an extensive amount of time to researching the date market in Australia, attending fruit markets to understand their prices, distribution, quality and competitors.
“SSI Ignite has been amazed I’ve collected so much information about the market in a short space of time,” Mr Noonoo said.
As Mr Noonoo is still settling into his new life and his business idea is in its infancy, he is currently focusing on learning English at TAFE and getting his licence.
He has found SSI to be an important support system during his settlement journey.
“They (SSI) really want people to stand up on their own feet. They have given me so much, and now I want to give back to Australia.”
With exciting plans on the horizon, Mr Noonoo is optimistic about his future.
“There are challenges to adapting to a new country, but if you have a dream and vision, nothing is impossible.”
*Go to https://homeaffairs.gov.au/ for more information.
Finding Your Feet (detail) by Sayd Abdali, Nasaphah Nasaphah and Jane Theau for Motherland-Exile/Refuge-Migration (repeat) Exhibition, January 2020, Australian National Maritime Museum.
Without doubt, this year was not what any of us expected. And it’s safe to say for many of us, 2020 gave the word unprecedented a new definition.
In this year alone we have survived unprecedented fires, an unprecedented pandemic, and unprecedented restrictions.
But, if I had to choose one word to define this year for us, or for the communities we support, I would choose resilience.
While it has been a difficult year, there have also been wonderful moments of optimism, like our bushfire communities rebuilding, COVID-19 restrictions easing, and our communities rallying together despite physical and social isolation.
Time and time again over this year, we have seen our clients demonstrate incredible resilience and ingenuity in the face of adversity.
Despite many individuals being in the midst of their settlement journey, they have worked tirelessly to not only keep their family on their feet in the wake of social and economic disruption, but have also come together to support the wider community.
The power and empathy of our communities is a constant inspiration.
Furthermore, the resilience of our staff and partner organisations, and the unwavering commitment to our clients and communities is something I am immensely proud of.
To have survived this year as an organisation is a credit to our hard-working staff.
Our staff have come through this year with resilience, compassion, and dedication. While they themselves have been affected by the pandemic, they have proudly continued to delivering quality services to our clients and communities.
In all the years of SSI’s operation, we have faced many tests of resilience. This year has been incredibly challenging, but I know we will again emerge with strength, and integrity and, most importantly, we will emerge together.
I think it is important to acknowledge that although it has been a difficult year, we have also made some amazing achievements.
In 2020, we proudly celebrated 20 years of serving and advocating for our communities at SSI. We provided crisis support to individuals and families from asylum seeker backgrounds through donated food packages.
We also continued our journey to provide disability support services to multicultural communities as we commenced providing the NDIS Local Area Coordination Service.
We extended our Multicultural Foster Care Program into Victoria and have recently been selected to deliver a multicultural service to address gambling harm across Victoria.
While these are only some of our achievements, this wouldn’t have been possible without support from our staff, the community, our member organisations, funders, and other partners in the community, corporate and academic sectors. Thank you.
For me, this year has served as a crucial reminder for why SSI and Access exist and why we have been proudly advocating and supporting our clients and communities for the past 20 years.
Our newly released 2019-2020 Annual Report shows that, over the course of a single year, SSI staff made a positive difference in the lives of over 37,400 people.
Thank you all for your continued help in supporting newcomers and other vulnerable community members to reach their full potential.
I also want to acknowledge that this year many people may be spending this time away from family.
It’s why I want to I encourage you, in the spirit of the season to reach out to people who may be on their own, such as those on temporary visa holders, or people who are socially isolated like your friends and neighbors to check in and offer them some company.
I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday break.
Violet Roumeliotis
SSI CEO
Photo is captured during the 7th Asia Pacific Consultation on Refugee Rights (APCRR7).
The Asia Pacific region hosts a significant number of the world’s refugees and is also the site of some of the world’s most acute and protracted refugee situations in which at least 25,000 refugees from the same country have been living in exile for more than five consecutive years.
With the challenges facing refugees in this region, civil society organisations and individuals from across the region agreed to establish the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) in November 2008.
As a longstanding member, and a partner since 2017, SSI has supported APRRN’s activities in key areas, including joint advocacy for refugee rights at national, regional and international levels.
APRRN members are diverse, comprising service providers, human rights advocacy groups, research institutions, lawyers and law firms providing pro-bono legal aid, and refugee community-based organisations.
SSI supports APRRN to advance refugee protection in the region through APRRN’s regional and international advocacy, civil society coordination, and capacity strengthening of NGOs.
SSI Senior Policy Officer Carmen Ghaly said SSI’s partnership with APRRN had several aims, including strengthening the capacity and sustainability of APRRN’s Secretariat to coordinate its membership and refugee rights advocacy.
“SSI and APRRN’s shared values in advancing refugee rights in the region and strengthening the capacity of the sector are at the core of our partnership,” she said.
“SSI is excited to continue its partnership with APRRN and support the work of the Secretariat and the network.”
Program Coordinator APRRN Secretariat Janeen Sawatzky said that APRRN was excited to be soon receiving training from SSI in the areas of a trauma-informed practice.
“APRRN is excited to have SSI supporting and partnering with us on our Short Course on Refugee Rights and Advocacy this year – lending their expertise and bringing critical insights on trauma-informed practice to guide strategic advocacy efforts.”
Other activities between the affiliated organisations include knowledge sharing and capacity-strengthening, and addressing responses to key protection challenges, focusing on legal aid, advocacy, refugee law, mental health, gender issues, statelessness, and alternatives to detention.
SSI and APRRN have shared values and principles, and alignment on specific goals such as a commitment to the Global Compact on Refugees and pledges made at the Global Refugee Forum, including refugee leadership and protection.
The partnership also aims to facilitate the organisation and implementation of APRRN’s 8th Asia Pacific Consultation on Refugee Rights (APCRR8) and Regional Protection Forum in October 2021 and to continue supporting the annual implementation of APRRN’s annual Short Course on “Refugee Rights and Advocacy”.
Community Refugee Welcome Centre Coordinator Moones Mansoubi captured with event attendee and refugee Solmaz Mirzaei.
Production of the eight-minute video fostered social inclusion and participation while providing an opportunity for refugee artists to present their work during the pandemic.
Many iconic Inner West Council locations are featured along with 22 artists – newly arrived refugees, Aboriginal community members and local Inner West musicians – who all bring elements from their culture to the project. See the video here.
Solmaz Mirzaei arrived in Australia from Iran as a refugee two years ago and attended the event. SSI provided her with wrap-around services, including accommodation, and assisted her in settling into her new home.
“As a woman in Iran, it is difficult, and we decided to come to a country like Australia that respects our human rights.
“Human rights mean for me a world full of peace, fairness and freedom for all the people and no prejudices in the world.”
Ms Mirzaei said that human rights existed in a world where people are valued as humans and nothing else; not because of race, education, economic background, gender or religion.
“Unity among all people is very important in the world because there is only one truth and it’s unity that helps us to reach that truth.
“This video shows us that people can show their belief about human rights through art. Art is the language of unity.”
Ms Mirzaei said that the support that was provided to her family by the Australian Government’s Humanitarian Settlement Program, delivered by SSI, was extensive.
“SSI is an organisation that supports people, something that I have experienced in my first two years in Australia.
“They have supported us in many different areas, including helping us become independent, finding services and also programs that help us be more happy where we can celebrate.”
The Community Refugee Welcome Centre is a partnership between Inner West Council and Settlement Services International (SSI).
Centre Coordinator Moones Mansoubi said, “The Melody of Humanity project has provided a professional development opportunity for everyone involved, including the artists who actively participated in the creative process of production and who demonstrated their remarkable skills and talents.”
SSI General Manager Service Delivery – Settlement, Yamamah Agha said the project was a reminder that human rights belonged to everyone, and was what bound people together as a community.
“The video provides a vehicle for people to connect and experience culture from diverse perspectives, particularly during a time when many communities are experiencing poor mental health due to the pandemic,” she said.
Refugee and filmmaker Ali Rezvani arrived in Australia in March this year to start a new life. Ms Mansoubi supported him to find opportunities in his field, including connecting him with the Inner West Council, enabling him to use his filmmaking skills to create the project’s video about local refugee experiences.
“The video is a great example of where the skills, motivations and aspirations of diverse human languages come together,” he said.
The Community Refugee Welcome Centre in Callan Park is where refugees and people seeking asylum are welcomed and supported to re-build their lives in their new country while forming meaningful connections with Inner West locals. It was established by the former Leichhardt Council in 2016.
“The Welcome Centre is a great example of how Council is promoting social justice in our own backyard,” said Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne.
“The Centre makes a practical difference in the lives of people who have escaped war and oppression to make it to Australia and become part of our Inner West community,” he said.
“This beautiful video is uplifting, inclusive and inspiring. I hope people watch it and open their hearts and minds and reflect on why people leave their homes and flee from their countries, and why we must do a better job of welcoming people who have been displaced by injustice,” Mayor Byrne said.
Former refugee Dolkar Lhamo and her son.
Ms Lhamo was born in Tibet and lived there with her parents and four siblings until the age of 15.
After continuing her education and practising medicine in India, Ms Lhamo arrived in Australia with her husband and son in August 2019 and was welcomed at the airport by Settlement Services International (SSI).
She said that the support that was provided to her family by The Humanitarian Settlement Program, funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs* and delivered by Settlement Services International (SSI), was extensive. “They gave us furniture, took us to many events and familiarised us with the Australian ways,” she said.
As a child, she was enrolled into a Tibetan children’s boarding school where she completed her studies. Fulfilling her parents’ dreams for her to have a brighter future, she went on to study medicine at a Tibetan medical college.
“I left my parents when I was 15. I was alone, and I knew that’s what they wanted me to do – to become a doctor, especially a traditional one,” she said.
After completing her studies and a one-year internship, she ambitiously sought and secured a job where she worked as a GP in a Tibetan medical institution for 10 years. Having to leave her family while she was an adolescent, Ms Lhamo said she developed a strong connection with her sponsor parent, who visited her four times in India.
“When I was in India, in my school, this one lady was sponsoring me from Luxemburg. She was like a mum to me. When my son was born, she came to see him. We still speak often,” she said.
While her sponsor parent continues to act as a support network, Ms Lhamo still yearns to be reconnected with her biological family, who she has not seen for 20 years.
“I have had no contact with them, not on the phone or anywhere. I tried many times to go back to Tibet to see my parents, but the Chinese embassy did not give me permission to go.”
Her inability to travel from India to Tibet became a defining factor in Ms Lhamo’s decision to seek refuge in Australia. As there is more political freedom to travel between Australia and Tibet, Ms Lhamo hopes she will now be able to rekindle connections with her estranged family.
“One of my cousins here got permission to visit Tibet. The Australian government is more willing to give me the chance (to go to Tibet.)”
While waiting for the opportunity to travel to Tibet, Ms Lhamo has started studying a Diploma of Library and Information Services at TAFE. Her English teacher at Brookvale introduced her to Avalon Community Library, where she started working as a volunteer. She aspires to secure a job as a librarian in the future.
“I love working in a library because, when I was in India, I spent a lot of time there. I was working in the library when studying to be Tibetan doctor,” she said.
For Mrs Lhamo, working at the library is an opportunity to connect with diverse communities and people from all walks of life, similar to her life as a doctor.
“While working for 10 years in India, I went to many different places and learnt different cultures. I feel the same thing in the library. Every day there are different people asking different questions. I can help them.”
Ms Lhamo’s local community is home to people who speak an array of different languages. Her multilingualism in English, Indian, Chinese and Tibetan are skills that she hopes can make her a valuable librarian in the future.
“We have lots of different people … I think I can be helpful to my community.”
While Ms Lhamo has made a significant change in her home and careers, with her future showing bright prospects, her hope to reunite with her family remains strong.
“For me, I really I hope I can go back to Tibet and see my parents before it’s too late. This is my dream to see them and talk to them.”
*Go to https://homeaffairs.gov.au/ for more information.
Saif has a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Baghdad College of Medicine and had worked for four years at Al-Imam Ali Hospital in Iraq.
In the beginning, Saif, who had come to Australia by himself, faced difficulties settling, including with the language barrier, new system, culture and lifestyle, and with overseas qualification recognition processes. To work as a doctor in Australia, international medical graduates need to complete the AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) registration requirement by passing the Australian Medical Council (AMC) exams, as well as an English test.
On a friend’s recommendation, Saif contacted SSI in October 2018 for help with his employment journey in Australia, starting with understanding the process of getting his qualification recognised.
SSI’s Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP), an initiative of the NSW government, supported Saif to complete the Australian Medical Council exams, occupational English test exam, and eventually his AHPRA registration. RESP also provided financial support and educational courses that helped him pass the exams. Additionally, SSI assisted Saif to get a driver’s license through driving lessons, and helped with workshops about finding jobs in Australia. This essential support was crucial, and made a huge difference to Saif’s journey.
After two years of hard study and struggle, Saif secured a job as an Emergency Resident Medical Officer at Royal Hobart Hospital; back practising medicine, and back on track saving lives.
Saif recently wrote to his RESP Employment Facilitator, Sevan Chilingeryan:
I would like to thank the SSI team especially my case managers Sevan, Marlen, and Rahaf for their guidance and help they provided. Great job.
– Saif Noori
Learn more about the Refugee Employment Support Program.