The Friendship Garden connects participants with nature and with each other.

Since 2015, the garden welcomed many people from diverse backgrounds, languages and abilities who worked together to build an inclusive and cohesive community.

On July 18, 2019, the last day of SSI’s ownership of the project, an olive tree, traditionally a symbol of peace and friendship, was planted at the Friendship Garden to mark the great achievements made together and the community’s commitment to continue to support the garden and one another in a positive, united future.

SSI Community Engagement Manager Trina Soulos takes us through the evolution of the initiative.

How did SSI first become involved with the Friendship Garden?

SSI collaborated with Auburn City Council (now Cumberland City Council) in June 2015 to support the expansion of the existing Friendship Garden and transform it into a productive and inclusive community garden project.

What did the project involve?

People involved in SSI programs and members of the public would come together to socialise and learn new skills during regular gardening mornings and workshops. Anyone from the community could volunteer their time to transform the disused land into green space for the community. The gardeners planted vegetables, flowers, whatever plant life they wanted really. Participants would sometimes bring a crop or seed to plant that reminded them of their homeland. I recall white mulberry being planted, which is very popular in Iran and Afghanistan.

We also organised excursions, workshops and external projects in collaboration with other groups.

For many participants, the gardening days became a regular part of their routine. Many were people seeking asylum without working rights in Australia and were waiting on the outcome of their refugee visas. It was a way to keep active and busy, and meet people and learn new skills at the same time.

Others participated because it was a reminder of home. They may have had a big garden in their home country, but only a small balcony in their apartment in Auburn.

We also initiated a playgroup in the garden for families from varied backgrounds to meet new people. It enabled parents to find new ways to connect with their children when they might have limited family or social support in Australia.

Playgroup NSW now runs the garden playgroup.

Each week brought a mix of locals, SSI clients and volunteers from a range of backgrounds. The gardening sessions would often conclude with a shared lunch, either made from the garden produce or brought in by a participant, and a good chat.

What were some of the highlights/milestones of the project?

The evolution of the garden was an example of collaboration between community, an NGO (SSI), and local and state governments.

In 2018, in consultation with community members through every step of its upgrade, SSI and Cumberland City Council worked towards increasing the garden’s accessibility. We received a grant as part of the NSW Community Building Partnership program that allowed us to expand the garden and install an accessible children’s sensory garden offering an inclusive environment for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families and children of all abilities. We also raised garden beds, paved pathways and built lots of signage to make the garden more accessible.

What was the impact of the project?

This project facilitated tremendous social and economic growth in the community. The social interaction allowed participants to improve their English skills, enhance their self-confidence, make friends and establish support networks, attain TAFE certification through courses, and for some, secure employment.

As part of the handover, we hosted a Community Voice consultation where participants could voice their thoughts on how to retain, improve and share the garden with the Auburn community, and they were able to express how being involved had impacted them.

Many participants agreed that the Friendship Garden had helped them feel like they were not alone, as it connected them with nature, and with each other. They had enjoyed diversifying their skills and enjoyed the common goal of developing the garden and watching it grow.

The project was an ideal example of how SSI’s Community Engagement practice helps to connect people from diverse backgrounds and make them feel included and welcomed in their community.

On behalf of SSI I can say that we are proud to have built a space where people respect and support each other, work as a team to build something beautiful and sustainable, and communicate and laugh together despite language barriers. We know the garden is in good hands for the future!

The Friendship Garden is located at 44A Macquarie Road, Auburn.

SSI’s self-funded Community Engagement function enables participants to form strong links in the community and feel better connected. You can support these initiatives by making a donation.

SSI Arts & Culture has supported over 100 newcomer artists, like George Karam. Photo credit: Anna Kucera

From humble beginnings, this self-funded program has grown to become the catalyst for a number of significant festivals, cultural events, creative workshops and arts initiatives across Sydney and NSW, adding greater diversity and richness to Australia’s cultural landscape.

Since its inception, SSI Arts & Culture has supported over 100 newcomer artists through the Creative Pathways Program to find their creative voice, cultivate their skillsets and connect with supportive and like-minded communities.

When Syrian oud player and qualified music teacher George Karam arrived in Sydney in 2017 after fleeing the ISIS caliphate, he struggled to find work and a platform for creative expression, despite his achievements as a renowned musician.

“When we first came to Australia, we didn’t know anyone and didn’t have any connections who could help,” he said. “But SSI helped by getting me work at parties and also at festivals and cultural events.”

As well as enabling artists to share their artistic skills and cultural heritage, SSI Arts & Culture facilitates a number of live arts events to increase community cohesion and help create a positive – and more layered – narrative around newcomers.

Since he was introduced to SSI Arts & Culture, George has managed to secure a consistent flow of live performances, including SSI’s annual flagship arts and culture event New Beginnings Festival and, most recently, at New Beginnings virtual Freedom Sessions, as part of the trio “Collusion”.

He claims that his proudest moments in life are when he is on stage. “When I arrived, not many people knew what an oud was so, when I go on stage to play it, I feel very proud. I love to present my art to people.”

George appreciates the opportunities his new country has provided; so much so that he is writing a song to thank Australia for all that it has done for him and his family. “It will be in Syrian and English and played with an oud, so it makes a connection between the two countries and between me and Australia.”

Shape the future with us. Sponsorship, partnership and donation opportunities are available now. Be part of the movement towards a more harmonious, inclusive and culturally enriched community. Contact Fundraising & Partnerships Manager Naushin Rahman for more information: nrahman@ssi.org.au

Anaiwan elder Steve Widders with Ezidi community member Khalaf Bari at the 2019 Reconciliation Week bridge walk. Photo credit: Anna Kucera

This has shown us the immense synergy between First Nations and Migrant communities, highlighting that, when we harness the combined wisdom, experience, and power of multicultural communities and First Peoples, we can create a better, fairer society for all.

After a long journey of learning and discovery, we are at the final stages in the development our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and organisational revival vision.

That vision ensures we will listen, learn and share the wisdom of 60,000 years of an ancient culture.

SSI will work towards realising makarrata —birth a new season of kinship, where all people and cultures acknowledge our past, see each other and walk together in the spirit of strength and unity.

The desire to walk hand-in-hand is clearly illustrated by how Armidale’s Ezidi community turned out in great numbers in March 2019 for the city’s Reconciliation Bridge Walk.

One of the most memorable sights was local Anaiwan elder Steve Widders, who is vision impaired, walking arm-in-arm with Ezidi community member Khalaf Bari.

“On the day of the bridge walk, about 70 members of the Ezidi community turned up. Khalaf and another man came up. They said, ‘Please can we walk with you?’ It wasn’t planned. It happened because we have the same heart and we have empathy for each other.

“Communication isn’t a barrier. We stand the same, walk the same, and walk hand-in-hand. This is the beginning of a friendship that will expand through our families and through our respective communities,” said Steve.

Our journey to create a mutual, respectful relationship with First Nations peoples was partly inspired by ongoing yarning circles held between First Nations and newly arrived refugee and migrant women.

Yarning circles have been used by First Nations peoples from around the world for centuries to learn from a collective group, build respectful relationships and preserve and pass on cultural knowledge.

Over the past two years, SSI has supported the creation of yarning circles between First Nations women and newcomers in locations across Sydney.

At these sessions, women have harnessed their cultural connections to voice their experiences, have their stories heard and supported each other to cope with the challenges of settlement and heal from past trauma.

Participants said the women’s circles acted as a safe, sacred space for them to heal, feel connected to the community and gain confidence in themselves.

The circles are about more than conversation. They are an opportunity to heal by acknowledging the pains of the past and the mental scars that come with them, and to work to together to improve quality of life through shared growth and experience.

SSI’s vision is of multicultural Australians and First Nations communities walking hand-in-hand to collaborate and support each other in the pursuit of the best interests of all Australians.

Another major influence on the direction of SSI’s RAP is the Uluru Statement of the Heart, an initiative that calls for a First Nations voice to Parliament and a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making and truth-telling: voice, treaty and truth.

In 2020 SSI voiced its unwavering support for recognising Indigenous Australians in the nation’s constitution and called for corporate Australia to lend its weight to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

SSI is now in the process of translating the statement into community languages so that in-language sessions on the need to support this proposed reform are available for all Australian minorities.

Nicole Laupepa, SSI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Specialist, who has been key to the direction of SSI’s revival journey, said, “We’re fortunate enough to have one of the richest and oldest continuing cultures in the world. We should all be proud of and celebrate this.

“The greatest gift the First Nations people gave Australia was the gift of forgiveness. This gift was given in the true essence of reconciliation, to reconcile our nation and restore freedom and peace for all Australians.

“SSI has embraced this gift and has embarked on a journey to unite the nations and end the history of division and conflict through reconciliation.

“It has been a long journey but together we will strive to shape a pathway where everyone has an opportunity to prosper, contributing to an Australia that redefines difference and steps out in courage to build a unified, equal and respectful nation.”

Learn more about SSI’s support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Chris Blackwell now manages SSI’s The Staples Bag

“I started with the SSI Work for the Dole program in August 2015,” Mr Blackwell said. “I began in the SSI Community Kitchen, but soon they started giving me experience with the other program, Humble Creatives.”

After Chris finished his compulsory work experience hours, one of his supervisors encouraged him to interview for an upcoming position. When the social enterprise Humble Creatives started growing, Chris was a perfect fit for the Team Assistant position. Chris attributes his fate to the personal connection he first felt with the SSI program and its staff.

One of his main responsibilities was conducting market research to explore products that provide new skills for job seekers.

Chris is also responsible for supervising the performance of job seekers, making sure they arrive on time, sign their timesheets, and learn new skills each day.

With work experience and local markets and events being affected due to the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, Humble Creatives took a hiatus, but Chris’ skills have not gone to waste. He is now the manager of SSI’s low-cost grocery store The Staples Bag.

Learn more about SSI Employment Services.

SSI staff celebrating Wear It Purple Day

This was an amazing result for the first time undertaking this benchmarking tool and reflected focused attention to raise awareness and support gender and sexual diversity (GSD) inclusion at SSI.

Over the previous two years, SSI’s Gender and Sexual Diversity Working Group had focused on helping SSI improve its workplace inclusion from a GSD perspective. In that time, SSI held staff events and training on related topics, reviewed policies, created a GSD Champions Network, ran GSD projects in Ability Links, and signed the Canberra Statement supporting advocacy for GSD refugees and asylum seekers.

Proud of the work undertaken, SSI made its first submission to Pride in Diversity’s Australian Workplace Equality Index to benchmark its progress.

That helped to ensure that staff and clients who identified as LGBITQA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, transgender, queer, asexual, and indeed all diversities of sexuality and gender identity and expression), felt welcome, safe and valued when working with SSI.

It also demonstrated SSI’s support for LGBITQA+ communities more broadly, aligning with SSI’s passion for human rights and diversity. It helped everyone, with their own lived experience or not, to be positive allies.

Importantly, inclusion has benefits for everyone. Having an inclusive environment where each person can be their best unique self, and be valued for the perspectives and contribution they bring, enables everyone to effectively respond to the diverse needs of people they work with and achieve better outcomes for all.

Learn more about SSI’s range of services and support us here.

With the recent announcement of the Federal Budget, it appears not-for-profit organisations such as SSI will have to step-up and take the lead in supporting newcomers and those on temporary visas to recover from the economic and social fallout of the pandemic.

It is undeniable that there are challenging times ahead, but I know that as a community we will build back better. I see this all the time, demonstrated by the people we serve; through hardship grows innovation, connection, and strength.

We also cannot forget that outside of Australia there are still thousands of displaced individuals who are in desperate need of a safe haven, away from war and persecution. The spread of COVID-19 only adds to their challenges.

Consequently, the announcement of government cuts to the humanitarian intake, combined with reduced support for asylum seekers living in our communities, was deeply disappointing.

Despite this, I was heartened to hear the government’s commitment to review intake numbers annually.

We are an organisation that prides ourselves on successful integration and settlement outcomes. No matter what, we will do our utmost to continue to ensure new Australians feel welcomed and supported, and that when the humanitarian cap is returned to pre-pandemic levels, we have laid the foundations for recovery in place to support the government.

One program that has exemplified the value of ‘welcome’ in successful settlement is the Welcome2Sydney (W2S) initiative, which was recently awarded the 2020 Zest Award for “Outstanding Project Promoting Social Cohesion and Community Harmony”.

W2S is an SSI, project, supported by the City of Parramatta. It connects volunteers and established Sydney residents, with newly arrived families and individuals from refugee backgrounds, to engage in fun group activities that increase participant’s belonging and understanding of their new home.

Many of SSI’s innovative programs, such as Welcome2Sydney, are co-designed in partnership with local business, local government or other local community-based organisations.

Together with SSI, these partners form the cornerstones of strengthening and contributing to settlement and integration and that in turn provides a foundation for outcomes in employment, health, education, and language acquisition.

This year has brought many unprecedented challenges. It has marked a fundamental shift in the way the world interacts with each other and magnified many of the challenges faced by the communities we support.

At the same time, this year brings me to acknowledge how far SSI has come in our mission to support newcomers and vulnerable members of society and our resilience in the face of change, as we approach 20 years since SSI’s inception. Next month we will be celebrating this milestone with several digital activities including a series of 20 client and staff stories that reflect our journey.

Although it comes at a challenging time, our 20^th anniversary reminds me of the incredible strength of our community, and the immense value in the work we do.

I know that together we will make it through this period and build back better.

Jayanthi (centre) volunteering at SSI’s New Beginnings Festival 2019.

In mid-2019 Jayanthi’s relative, a former SSI employee, recommended she pursue volunteering with SSI. So, she reached out to the Volunteering team, who organised work opportunities with our RESP program.

“I came to SSI for multiple different reasons: I wanted to gain experience in Australia and network as this is a new environment. It is my passion to help people, plus I wanted to see how NFP organisations work in Australia,” she said.

For almost a year Jayanthi volunteered one day a week with the SSI’s Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP) out of the Liverpool office. She assisted help clients to develop and improve their resumes, develop cover letters, and organise information.

“Volunteering with RESP has enabled me to utilise my time doing something worthwhile, gain experience working for NFP sector in Australia and build networks, as this is a new environment for me,” she said.

She also assisted at the 2019 New Beginnings Festival by conducting a survey on festival attendees. The data collected from her surveys was included in SSI’s post event reporting and evaluation.

After the emergence of COVID-19, SSI’s volunteering activities were shut down for several weeks.

Jayanthi explained that despite shutdowns, SSI volunteers and The Volunteer team met up to connect and regroup over zoom for International Volunteers day.

Since then, Jayanthi has been offered two different opportunities to use some of her skills and support SSI clients.

“[Acting Volunteer Program Manager], Emma rang me to offer an opportunity to provide Tamil language support to clients and have conversations about the services SSI can provide to people. Now, the team will schedule if anyone needs language support,” she said.

RESP is also establishing way for clients to get assistance with their resumes from skilled volunteers like Jayanthi over the phone.

“It has been a good experience,” explained Jayanthi. “The staff have been very friendly; it is a nice environment and the people I have worked closely with have been really amazing.

“I value diversity and feel fortunate to volunteer with SSI as they work with and support people from different cultures and backgrounds and who have experienced vulnerability and discrimination, including myself,” she said.

Jayanth’s dream for her life in Australia is to continue her career in the NFP sector.

“In Australian issues are very different to those Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka I worked more in the disaster management field and it seems Australia does not have many organisations in this area. [Despite this] there is more focus and opportunities in health, welfare, social support, and migration.

“The social sector is my passion and I really enjoy working in community service, so, I would love to continue working in that field here. That is my goal,” she said.

Are you interested in volunteering with SSI? Learn more here.

*Note: volunteering and internship opportunities may be limited due to the impact of COVID-19.

When Kim* and her husband first started with SSI’s Multicultural Foster Care program, they thought they would ease themselves into foster caring with short-term care arrangements.

Now, three years later the couple are still looking after their first foster child on a long-term basis, while also helping several other children gain the confidence and structure they need through short-term placements.

Kim and her husband have lived in Sydney Australia for the past 35 years. The couple have one adult son and a 15-year-old daughter.

Kim explains she has always loved having her home full of children. As her son grew and moved out of home, they decided it would benefit the whole family to join the SSI Multicultural Foster Care program

“We decided to foster because we have a lot of space in our home and there are many children out there with nowhere to stay. Part of our decision was influenced by the large gap between the age of my daughter and son, and after my son moved out my daughter was a bit lonely,” says Kim.

When searching for an agency, Kim and her husband, who are of Vietnamese and Chinese background, were drawn to SSI’s emphasis on maintaining foster children’s connection to culture.

“I didn’t want the children to have to go into a family where they look different physically. I liked [SSI] because I felt a child with a similar or the same background would find it easier to feel like they fit in with our family.”

Their foster daughter, who is of Thai background, came into Kim and her family’s care in 2018 at the age of eight.

Kim explains that it took time for Mali* to become comfortable and happy with her family, but that in time she began to accept her new home and did not want to leave.

Kim highlights perseverance and patience as key qualities a foster carer should have, as while the act of foster caring can be immensely rewarding, it has its challenges.

“At times we would say ‘it is too hard; I can’t do this anymore’ but then I would see a positive change in her, and this would change my mind. Now she can come to me to talk about things and I can talk to her. Mali is much happier and wants to stay with us,” Kim says.

While caring for Mali long-term, Kim and her husband have fostered several children in short-term care.

Kim enjoys supporting children to learn new skills in short-term care arrangements and seeing them grow. She explains that she gets the greatest joy in seeing children reunited with their birth family.

“We had two little boys stay with us for two years. I was so happy for them to go home and live with their birth family. It was great to see the changes in them, and to know they could go back to their mum happy,” says Kim.

Kim and her husband feel they have grown as individuals and parents since they began foster caring and plan to continue their journey with long-term and short-term arrangements.

“After three years, I feel that I have gained a lot of experience because I know things will change. I used to think I would never get there, but slowly one day you do, and the kids get it. It isn’t just me that has grown from this, the children learn a lot too,” Kim concludes.

Learn more about SSI’s Multicultural Foster Care Program here.

Or take our Foster Care eligibility quiz here.

*Names have been changed and stock image used.

While this has affected everyone’s freedom of movement, individuals and families from refugee backgrounds have been particularly hard hit — blocked from attaining the safety and stability they desperately need.

The COVID-19 pandemic reached Australian soil in March, and since then the Federal Government has close our borders to all entrants, allowing only Australian citizens, permanent residents, or immediate family into the country.

This has meant Australia’s refugee intake has been on hold for the past seven months, causing havoc amongst the refugee community and around the world.

As a daughter of migrants, and CEO of Settlement Services International, I have found it disconcerting to see the widespread impact that factors outside of our control can have on the ability for individuals find a safe haven.

In light of this, last week, we spoke to SBS about the many refugees who were granted humanitarian visas by the Federal Government earlier this year, and who had their dreams suddenly cut short by the COVID-19 induced border closure.

Some of these refugees are now stranded amid an enduring pandemic with no jobs, refuge, or hope. In some cases, people are stuck in limbo, forced to live in unfamiliar countries separated from family and friends.

Just one of the examples I have seen of this is the experience of David Odeesh, who was elated when his sister and her family were granted humanitarian visas by the Federal Government in January.

The family had been forced to flee their hometown of Mosul, Iraq, and escape to Lebanon due to the threat of Islamic State. They were to arrive in Sydney in March this year, but six months on, Mr Odeesh, is still waiting for them to be allowed to enter the country.

Separation from loved ones is just one of the many factors that can contribute to the endemic sense of loneliness experienced by people of refugee backgrounds during their early settlement.

There are many reasons refugees and asylum seekers experience loneliness in Australia, including a lack of community connections and support, language barriers and a limited income that does not enable them to be socially involved.

In these challenging times where isolation is rampant, it is paramount for social services like SSI and the local community step up and support newcomers who do not have the social support network most Australians can rely on.

SSI’s Volunteer program and volunteers such as Shazia Mia are on the front line in helping combat this loneliness by welcoming new families and migrants to Australia and sharing what makes Australia “a great home”.

While working full-time in Sydney’s CBD as a corporate professional, Shazia also works as a volunteer ambassador for Welcome2Sydney; an innovative volunteer program that encourages newcomers to develop a sense of belonging.

It was co-designed by the City of Sydney SSI and has been expanded to greater Sydney.

Shazia shared with us her belief, that I believe aligns with the foundation of the work we do at SSI:

A community only flourishes if you connect with each other, and we have to make connections with people.’

That sentiment is reflected in Foundations for Belonging: A snapshot of newly arrived refugees, a research report by SSI and Western Sydney University, which shines a light on the importance of refugees’ social connections in their successful settlement and integration

It points to actions including leveraging the willingness of refugees to volunteer, to strengthen reciprocal social and civic participation, and community initiatives that facilitate the meeting and exchange between refugees and the receiving communities at the local level.

I truly believe that when circumstances, such as border closures, are out of control, it is vital we focus on supporting refugees living in Australia’s positive sense of welcome and trust in neighbours and neighbourhoods.

The infrastructure supports provided by grass-roots programs such as Welcome2Sydney and SSI’s Volunteering enable people like Shazia to put the wheels in motion for a more socially inclusive and cohesive Australia.

If you would like to learn more about our Volunteer program, we would welcome you to join us–post pandemic–at the next Welcome2Sydney event.