As conditions worsened, she moved to a new neighbourhood with her family where they waited for their visa applications to be accepted. Despite these disruptive conditions, Ms Hagob was able to complete her secondary education and gain experience teaching graphic design at a local college.
When Ms Hagob and her family were granted their visas to Australia she was in her final year of studying a Bachelor of Economics. Due to sudden relocation, she was unable to complete her degree.
After moving from Melbourne to Sydney in April of 2017, Ms Hagob and her family discovered SSI through Refugee Talent, a digital platform to connect skilled refugees with companies offering short and long term job opportunities.
“SSI supported my family by helping us get a bond and furniture for our new home in Sydney,” Ms Hagob said.
Shortly afterwards, Ms Hagob joined a youth group that referred her to the SSI Youth Pathways and Placement Project (YPPP) to gain local work experience.
“I was also supported by SSI when I enrolled into the YPPP, as this program gave me a paid job and helped me improve and develop my skills.”
SSI Youth Employment and Social Enterprise Manager Leanne Hung described the YPPP as a launch-pad of opportunity for youth of refugee background.
“The YPPP gives youth the opportunity to gain local, paid work experience in a safe-to-fail environment. Our refugee participants are able to significantly improve their English and make the transition to external employment,” Ms Hung said.
Ms Hagob is grateful for the opportunities that came to fruition after she completed the YPPP. She is currently working as a part-time Admin Assistant for Australia for UNHCR and has more recently secured another part-time role in her qualified field as a graphic designer for design agency RedK.
“I am grateful to be working as graphic designer, but what makes me most happy is working in an organisation that helps refugees — this is very important for me.”
- a comprehensive SBS radio campaign on the NDIS in 13 different languages
- in-language NDIS information sessions for smaller and less supported language groups (Bengali, Burundi, Hindi, Farsi, Arabic, Kinyarwanda, Nepali, Somali)
- eight regional round table discussions and
- 20 workshops for NDIA, LAC and disability providers on Culturally Responsive Practice in a Disability Setting
Also, as part of this program, a state-wide conference DiverseAbility: NDIS Inclusion will be held on April 19 in Parramatta. To learn more about this conference, visit this website.
Some standout achievements of SSI under Ms Roumeliotis’ leadership include increased revenues from $9 million to $110 million, supporting 1,185 migrants gain work, securing funding for refugee entrepreneurs, and securing a place at the UNHCR Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (ATCR) as one of only four Australian delegates.
Ms Roumeliotis said she approaches challenges with a focus on values rather than financial outcomes. She advised that money would inevitably follow if the focus remained on the value of what was done.
“To overcome roadblocks or to help me make decisions I refer back to the values of the organisation; our principles are at the heart of who SSI strives to be as a pillar of the community,” Ms Roumeliotis said.
When speaking about past challenges, Ms Roumeliotis raised SSI’s biggest challenge and achievement to date: the resettlement of 10,000 refugees during 2017.
“Last year, SSI supported 10,000 refugees to settle in Australia. This was a huge challenge — and huge achievement — that was driven by the government’s one-off intake of 12,000 refugees affected by the conflict in Syria and Iraq. To put this into context, in a typical year we settle 3,000 refugees.
“Thankfully, the staff in that program and their formidable leader Yamamah Agha rose to the challenge. We hired where we needed to, revised our processes and tools where we needed to, and were able to settle this new cohort of refugees with no decline in the quality of service provided or — more importantly — settlement outcomes.”
Ms Roumeliotis narrowed her most valuable business advice to three notions: trust your instincts, nurture meaningful relationships and be open to collaboration.
“Over the years I’ve really come to depend on colleagues, friends and family that nourish me. These meaningful relationships take nurturing. I always find the time, as these are the people I lean on during challenging times. Be generous with your time for those that nourish you.”
“Another aspect that has stood out for me is the power of collaboration. So much of the work I’ve been able to do has been down to inviting people to partner where there has been no partnership before. When you invite people in to help and work together, it is incredible what can be achieved.”
Tune in to hear Violet Roumeliotis answer the question: “What advice would you give your 25-year-old-self?” Click here to watch the interview!
We need to be mindful there are many countries in the world that don’t have the social cohesion and integration of such a variety of cultures and faiths as we have in Australia.
Perhaps we take some of it for granted. It is great we live in a society where we feel comfortable and see the richness and benefits of diversity: our wonderful food and cultural events like Sydney Festival, film festivals and SSI’s own New Beginnings Festival.
However, Harmony Day for me is a reminder that we have multiple identities, that we are a very complex nation and there is a human element that links all of us. It is something we can celebrate as we reflect on the many positives of living in a vibrant, multicultural country.
Harmony Day is also a reminder that every day we should be curious about our differences and wary of the negativity we hear in the media.
Things may not be perfect but we do need to sometimes critique what we see and hear and bring it back to the personal and the human rather than the stereotypes of people, religions, communities and cultures that can only be counterproductive.
Happy Harmony Day!
Violet Roumeliotis
CEO, Settlement Services International
John Simmons is a designer and musician, who was initially invited to join the Ignite resource team by Specialist Ignite Ability Facilitator Merenia Marin. Mr Simmons had previously collaborated with Ms Marin, including a performance at the Sydney Opera House.
Mr Simmon’s work is creatively-focused and he specialises in a realm of design work, including video production, branding, photography and web development. Some of his previous clients include the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Aquarium, Oakland Book Festival, The Ocean Agency, Occulus Imagery, E8 Urban, SiteMinder, Civil Logic and many more.
“For the past 23 years I have run my own Sydney based business, Ouch! Media. I have collaborated with many creatives and created content for many different clients and in many different fields,” Mr Simmons said.
When approached by Ms Marin to join the Ignite resource team, Mr Simmons felt an immediate synergy to the cause and was eager to use his talents and passion to help others.
“I share the same social-political values as Ignite so I was happy to help out when Merenia asked me to join the resource team.”
Ms Marin commented on the immense value of having a design specialist in-house to help clients build their brand through professional web development and marketing.
“John has been an invaluable addition to our resource team, highly skilled, infinitely patient and really quick turnarounds,” Ms Marin said.
Mr Simmons has produced logos and websites for many Ignite participants, including Quang Nguyen, Parsa@Work, Media Blast, Adi’s Kitchen Ethiopian Cuisine, Elegant Weddings and many more.
“Client feedback has been good and it is always interesting taking on board cultural variations in design aesthetics.”
For more information on how to get involved, contact: ignite@ssi.org.au
Settlement Services International (SSI) is celebrating Harmony Day with member organisations and community groups at events that offer a variety of activities that uphold inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.
Diversity is one of SSI’s core values and one of its greatest assets. It’s what makes the SSI community so welcoming and collaborative, leading to more innovative outcomes and solutions for the people we serve.
When people from different cultures come together, the benefits aren’t restricted to the more obvious rewards like new food, music and art.
Diversity helps us to value new perspectives — to celebrate our differences and share what we have in common.
SSI wholeheartedly endorses the Harmony Day message “everyone belongs”. All people who migrate to Australia bring with them some of their own cultural and religious traditions, as well as taking on many new traditions. Collectively, these traditions have enriched our nation.
Multicultural Australia is an integral part of our national identity.
Hundreds of Harmony Day events can be found on the Harmony Day website.
But here are some wonderful options showcasing the talented and diverse SSI community working together to celebrate inclusiveness and a sense of belonging for all.
The SSI community exemplifies the Harmony Day message 365 days a year!
1. Community Kitchen
Community Kitchen’s Nowruz celebrations, March 21 from 11am to 2pm, Auburn Centre for Community, 44a Macquarie Road Auburn.
Nowruz marks the first day of spring and a celebration of the renewal of nature. It’s celebrated by more than 300 million people across the world … and many here in Australia. This is a perfect intercultural way to celebrate Australia’s diversity.
2. Community Info Expo
Celebrate cultural diversity, harmony and social inclusion in the City of Ryde with Ability Links and Community Migrant Resource Centre at the Harmony Day Community Info Expo, March 22, 9.30am to 12.30pm, Eastwood Plaza, Rowe Street, Eastwood.
3. Member and partner events
Western Sydney MRC’s Harmony Day bake off will celebrate the flavours of Western Sydney. Prepare and bring in your favourite family sweet or savoury dish for the chance to win one of three exciting prizes. March 21 from 9.30am to 12.30pm at Western Sydney MRC, 108 Moore St, Liverpool. Call 8778 1200 or email nadia@wsmrc.org.au.
Community Migrant Resource Centre and the Multicultural Services Network are hosting a day of multicultural exchange — fun, entertainment and multicultural activities — on March 22, 10am to 1pm, at Centenary Square, Parramatta.
Advance Diversity Services’ Settlement and Community Services staff will coordinate a ‘messages of welcome’ activity – inviting people to offer greetings of inclusivity, diversity and hope at Georges River Council’s Harmony Day celebration in Hurstville on March 21.
SydWest Multicultural Services will be participating in the Blacktown and Penrith Harmony Day celebrations. In Blacktown, Harmony Day is being celebrated at Bowman Hall, Campbell Street Blacktown, from 10am to 2pm, with a program of cultural entertainment, information stalls, fun activities, a free barbecue lunch and more. In Penrith, Nepean Multicultural Access and SydWest Multicultural Services are part of celebrations happening from 11.30am to 2pm, in Mondo (between The Joan and Westfield), High Street, Penrith. Activities on the day will include speeches, henna tattooing, storytelling and a special visit by Western Sydney Wanderers. Refreshments and light lunch will be provided to all participants. Contact info@sydwestms.org.au or laura@nma.org.au.
Manning Valley Neighbourhood Centre’s Migrant Settlement project is partnering with Taree Library on March 20 from 10.30am with performances including the Wingsong Choir (international songs) and a multicultural morning tea. There will be two films being shown on the day, Charlie’s Country and Constance on the Edge (bookings through midcoastlibraries.com.au).
Coffee with a Cop, March 21, 10am to 11am at Franky & Co., Neeta City Shopping Centre, 54 Smart Street, Fairfield. No agenda or speeches, just a chance to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know your local police.
International Women’s Day is also a time to celebrate the extraordinary acts of courage, determination and resilience of ordinary women who have shifted the needle in their local and global communities.
Being awarded the 2017 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year places a big responsibility on me to continue advocating for gender inclusivity and change.
I want to acknowledge all the wonderful women at SSI, those women that lead amazing initiatives or walk next to the people we support to help them have better lives every day
This week we had the honour of hosting the NSW launch of the National Harmony Alliance. The Harmony Alliance is one of the six National Women’s Alliances funded by the Australian Government to promote the views of all Australian women, to ensure their voices are heard in decision-making processes.
Its purpose is to provide a national inclusive and informed voice on the multiplicity of issues affecting experiences and outcomes of migrant and refugee women, and to enable opportunities for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds to directly engage in driving positive change.
Yesterday, in true SSI style, we hosted an intercultural celebration at a Community Kitchen packed with workshops, activities, performances and an amazing lunch, with empowerment and participation of women as the silver thread.
Now, more than ever, there’s a strong call to action to press forward and progress gender parity. That’s why this year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #PressforProgress — a call to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.
On International Women’s Day, I invite you to take the time to reflect on the theme “Press for Progress” and to celebrate all the wonderful women you know. Together, we can raise our collective voice and foster a more inclusive and gender equal world.
Violet Roumeliotis
SSI CEO
“Students get to experience a real industry-based business problem which they need to research and develop recommendations for, that will help the business reach the required goals and aims,” said Zeynep Roberts, Course Coordinator and Lecturer at UOW.
“This enables the students to put into practice the theoretical knowledge they have been learning in their Master of Business program into a practical, real-life business situation.”
These research projects help students hone skills including application of knowledge, communication and effective report writing, critical and strategic thinking, and using effective research methods to solve business problems.
Objectives for the Addison Road Street Food Markets include increasing the number of attendees and ensuring that the market is set up to trade in all weather conditions.
Project researchers aim to devise a plan to help Ignite and IgniteAbility expand their resource team and improve staff retention rates to ensure consistency for Ignite’s client base. Research projects are scheduled for completion by mid-April 2018, with reports due the following week.
“Working with our industry partners opens the door for employment opportunities for students,” Ms Roberts said.
“The industry partners also benefit from students’ recommendations and the knowledge they gather around a particular topic area. It also enables our industry partners to build stronger association with UOW for future project initiatives.”
The thriving partnership between Ignite and UOW is positioned to accelerate from strength to strength. Ignite Program Manager Dina Petrakis explained that once internships were complete, students were often keen to continue their involvement with Ignite.
“Many of the students who do their placements with us go on to become volunteers on our program, they want to continue helping our entrepreneurs,” she said.
“UOW’s support has been instrumental in helping the establishment of a variety of small business start-ups.”
In his home country of Iran, Mr Khaladj had worked in industrial management but found it difficult to obtain similar work in Australia. A love of building and making things led him to a new career in carpentry, and, eventually, the launch of his own business in Sydney’s western suburbs.
“My job in Iran involved building factories from the ground up. In my home country, there are lots of production companies. When I came to Australia, I worked as a carpenter for two different companies, learning about timberworks. I left and started my own small business,” Mr Khaladj said.
Mr Khaladj’s caseworker at the time referred him to Ben Benazzouz, a senior facilitator at Ignite.
“Ben was very helpful, he is a good man – he even helped me get one of my clients,” he said.
“He understood that I didn’t want to be employed, I wanted to run my own business and employ people myself.”
Currently Mr Khaladj employs up to six people for any one project and says two of his contractors have been working with him since the very beginning.
“I try to keep the projects coming, because I want to keep my workers on. I try to make sure I always have work for them,” he said.
“Making a house, you’re creating something, building something. Mostly the carpentry jobs I do involve a lot of thought. I like complex projects, I don’t like to make simple things. And I really enjoy my work.”
In addition to his busy workload, Mr Khaladj has also been studying a Cert IV in Building and Construction at TAFE.
“I have been studying two to three days a week online. It’s tough but for people like me who are working it’s the best option. The course takes around 18 months to complete but I hope to finish it in around 12.” he said.
Having called Australia home for the past few years, what does he enjoy most about life here?
“Maybe freedom and democracy,” he said.
“Also everywhere you go the sky is always blue – but here the blue is different somehow. Everything is good, except that maybe labour is very high for people like me!”