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.

COVID-19 has touched everyone around the globe, causing economies to come crashing to a halt, shut-downs to be mandated and borders to close.

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 closed 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 of individuals to find a 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 the 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 to 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, which I believe aligns with the foundation of the work we do at SSI:

A community only flourishes if you connect, 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 support provided by grass-roots programs such as Welcome2Sydney and SSI’s Volunteering enables 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.

Serina Saka (L) captured with her family.

Arriving in Sydney airport in 2019, the Saka family were greeted by Settlement Services International (SSI), who provided them with wrap-around case management services, including finding temporary accommodation.  

Ms Saka is currently enrolled at Mary Mackillop Catholic College as a Year 11 student. She did not speak English when she first arrived and has demonstrated her determination to learn the language through her volunteering at the school library and providing student support through orientation activities.

“I help new students by providing orientation of the school and helping them to feel welcome,” Ms Saka said. 

“Some of them don’t know the language like me, and I want to help them.”

Recently, Ms Saka requested assistance from her SSI case manager to find a casual job within the Fairfield area and was supported in developing her resume.  She met with her case manager at Neeta City Fairfield, and they went to over twenty local shops, requesting to speak to store managers and hand in her resume.

The manager of the café, The Big Hot Dog, was impressed with Ms Saka’s positive attitude and offered her a trial starting the next day. 

After only a trial period of two short days, where she was making coffee, serving customers, and wiping down tables, Ms Saka was offered paid employment. She said that she was very grateful for the support of her case manager.

“Everything at work is good, I love it so much,” she said.

“I work every Saturday and Sunday, thanks to the help of my SSI case manager.” 

Ms Saka spent her first payment on getting professional driving lessons as she obtained her learners permit in August last year, but didn’t have the opportunity to drive yet. When asked what she thinks about Australia, Ms Saka expressed that she feels settled in her new home. 

“Australia is so good, we love it so much,” Ms Saka said.

“Here in Australia, you can reach your dreams and find work, but back in Iraq, it’s harder as a woman, you marry when you’re 18.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed underlying racist tendencies among members of the Australian public, media and government. First, Asian Australians bore the brunt of racial abuse, and now some are shifting the blame onto migrant communities as a whole.

New data emphatically challenges the prevailing narrative that newcomer communities are somehow responsible for the second wave of the virus parts of Australia are experiencing.

In fact, our recently published study into COVID-19 knowledge and prevention among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities highlights that these groups actually take the pandemic very seriously – disproving much of the racist stereotyping seen in the media in recent months.

As part of this study, SSI conducted a survey of 810 clients from different families in our Humanitarian Settlement Program residing in Fairfield, Liverpool, and Campbelltown Local Government Areas. The aim was to understand their experience and perception of COVID-19 and to ensure they were receiving up-to-date information.

Data collected suggests that respondents are engaging in all the recommended safety measures and are taking active measures to ensure their safety and the safety of the community at large.

Unsolicited, individuals from these communities offered hand sanitiser, hand washing, social distancing and minimising going out and wearing masks as some of the actions they were taking to minimise the risk to themselves and others.

These actions are not exceptional; rather, they are expected to be practised by communities right across NSW. Unfortunately, there is no widespread data capturing behaviours in the wider community for comparison.

We are all responsible for the spread of COVID-19 and, just like the wider community, newcomers are aware and engaging with COVID-19 information in high numbers.

But, once again, we are using our troubles – this time in the form of a pandemic – to blame and alienate newcomers. First, migrants were to blame for housing prices, then a rise in crime, then congestion and now the spread of a virus.

As we face the single biggest economic, health and social crisis to emerge in our lifetime, perhaps it is not surprising that we would look for a way to simplify and shift responsibility for the situation.

So, what do these findings teach us about effectively communicating COVID-19 awareness and prevention practices to all communities, including culturally diverse ones?

We have found, time and time again, that for a message to get through to people, they need to hear it from their communities, and that they want support through their own community networks. To achieve this, it requires working effectively through thorough engagement with community leaders and groups.

Solidifying this is the immense determination we have seen from community leaders across NSW to connect with people, peer-to-peer, through trusted relationships, to communicate health and safety messages.

It is time to reflect on whether the top-down approach to communication is actually effective. My conclusion is that it is not. Responses to the pandemic, and indeed any crisis, need to be tailored to diverse audiences, and communicated through channels they know and trust.

We cannot assume that a one-size-fits-all approach will filter down to the grassroots level, particularly without the information infrastructure support of organisations like SSI.

In challenging times, it seems the public react with what appears to be Australia’s muscle memory, to blame the foreigner, the minority and those who are different to us.

To move forward from this unsettling habit, it is important that we take a step back, review the facts – which in this case, clearly identify CALD communities as responsible, aware members of a COVID-19 society – and look to ways we can do better to ensure a safer, fairer environment for all.

Paula with some of the week’s Care Package supplies and pre-made meals to be distributed to those in need.

Ever since COVID-19 hit Australian shores, Paula has been working to ensure individuals and families seeking asylum in Australia, who are not eligible for federal government employment support packages, do not go hungry.

Paula leads SSI’s Care Package program, which was designed in early March following government issued shutdowns across NSW.

The program was developed to support individuals on temporary or on bridging visas who lost their source of income due to the shutdown and as a result were struggling meet their basic needs.

Since the care package initiative’s inception, over 350 households, including single adults, young families and women at risk have been supported to put food on the table and meet their basic needs.

“I am seeing people in dire situations. Living standards are in many ways like situations I witnessed abroad while working in resettlement. It troubles me that this is happening here in Australia,” said Paula.

Paula explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, she met with families who had lost their source of income and could not receive support from the Jobkeeper and Jobseeker initiatives. As a result, many had burned through their savings and fallen four to six weeks behind on rent.

Now, with no clear end to the COVID-19 pandemic in sight, these families are facing over 14 weeks of rent arrears.

“Some of the people [seeking asylum] are now homeless. I have seen abusive text messages from landlords and heard stories of young single women being evicted from the security of their homes.

“At the same time, I have seen a letter from a landlord begging for rent money because he has lost his job and his wife has just given birth,” she said.

It is not just individuals and young couples on bridging visas who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, Paula has seen many parents and young children visit SSI seeking support to feed their family.

“Children are not exempt from this hardship. Many, too young to understand the situation are going hungry and cold while other children who are old enough to understand what is happening have shared that they feel the burden that falls on them,” explained Paula.

Settlement Services International, dedicated staff such as Paula and other non for profit organisations are doing their very best to support the individuals and families struggling with the ongoing fallout of COVID-19. Despite their best efforts, there are still individuals in our community falling through the cracks, with limited support from the government’s welfare safety nets.

“I want to ask Australians, how do we expect to come back from a situation like this?” Asked Paula, “Should we be more accountable on a personal and community level or should this be left for the state and federal government alone?”

“The answer is both. SSI is just one part of a great unmet need. We should all keep in mind that this current crisis is affecting all of us and we can do and be better especially now.

“The first step is being kind and reaching out to your community members. You can also write a letter to your local MP expressing your concern,” said Paula.

Click here to donate to SSI’s care package program.

Learn how to write to your local MP here.

For single mum, Linh, becoming a foster carer has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her life.

In the middle of our country’s health and economic crisis, it is tempting to let this news pass unnoticed. Between the bushfires, COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recession, 2020 has been a year for the history books and wreaked a devastating toll on our communities.

But most of us alive today have also been witness to another part of Australian history – one that I am certain will be viewed alongside the frontier massacres and the Stolen Generation as a dark blight on our shared heritage.

Offshore processing was first introduced under a Labor government in 2013, and it has continued under our present leadership as a deterrent to people seeking asylum in Australia by boat.

According to Human Rights Watch, more than 3,000 people have been interred on the camps on Manus Island and Nauru, and today, around 370 still remain there in limbo. Some 700 were resettled in the United States, while another 1,200 were transferred to Australia for medical treatment. More than 200 of these people are still detained in detention centres and hotels.

Those who have been fortunate enough to move to the community have experienced intense hardship – and this has only worsened with the recent pandemic. A survey SSI conducted in May showed that temporary visa holders like these people seeking asylum are going without food and medicine as a result of COVID-19.

Still, there is a glimmer of positivity in Friday’s news that Behrouz Boochani has been offered a permanent safe haven in New Zealand. As I’ve previously written, Behrouz obtained a temporary visa to visit New Zealand for a literary event last year. Being officially recognised as a refugee means he now has a permanent future away from Manus Island.

“I am very happy to have some certainty about my future, I feel relieved and secure finally,” he told The Guardian.

In Australia, we have also seen our state governments step up with funding and support for temporary visa holders, including people seeking asylum, international students and working-holiday makers.

You don’t have to be a government decision maker to help people seeking asylum during this pandemic. For example, SSI has opened up a referral and support clinic in Parramatta that is open to all people in need – regardless of visa status. This has created support for people seeking asylum who are ineligible for many government-funded programs and welfare. We’ve also begun offering tailored support for entrepreneurs from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds to assist them to navigate this pandemic and implications for small business.

They are small steps in what we hope is a larger shift in the way our country perceives and treats people based on their visa type. This pandemic has shown that we are only as strong as our most vulnerable community member.

Violet Roumeliotis

SSI CEO