SSI clients help prepare Jewish and Iraqi meals during the Shared Table Project
A project of the Jewish Board of Deputies, the Shared Table brings together women of different cultures to cook, talk, and share stories, traditions, heritage and family heirloom recipes.
On May 1 the SSI women shared the traditional customs of the Sabbath, or Shabbat dinner, and baked fresh challah, the braided bread their Jewish hosts eat each week.
Shabbat is a festive day when Jewish people exercise their freedom from the regular labours of everyday life. It offers an opportunity to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family.
The next week the SSI visitors helped prepare an Iraqi meal.
Project director Melissa Port said in her blog, “All these women have arrived into Australia in the past three to six months and have shared with us their enormous struggle to be here today.
“We are always amazed at the strength and courage of these families, who have fled terrorism for a better life for themselves and their children.”
On May 15 the SSI guests learned about some Jewish traditions, including customs when a baby boy is born, arranged marriages in the religious community, other customs when getting married, and the history relating to each celebration.
The following week the women received certificates for their participation in the program.
In 2013, however, he was forced to leave behind everything he knew because of persecution based on his Mandean faith.
Mandeans in Iran face discrimination and exclusion, and are restricted from fully participating in civil life.
“I was happy to come to Australia because I know that Australia is multicultural and I would be free to practice my religion here,” Mr Zahrouni said.
Mr Zahrouni came to Australia with his wife, two children and extended family in 2013 in search of safety.
“My first impression of Australia was that it was safe and calm.”
In Sydney, after working for 18 months in a food warehouse, Mr Zahrouni felt confident to start his own small business again.
He was introduced to SSI’s Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative — a self-funded start-up initiative that facilitates business creation for new entrepreneurs from refugee backgrounds.
An Ignite Facilitator assisted Mr Zahrouni with an interpreter to help to liaise with the real estate agent and local council, and provided contacts for a suitable accountant and solicitor. With support from Ignite, Mr Zahrouni was able to set up a grocery business.
“I would not have established my business without the help of Ignite,” Mr Zahrouni said.
“They have been beside with me every step of the way.”
Mr Zahourni now has a shop in Fairfield Heights selling general and specialist Middle Eastern groceries. For more information, visit the Ignite Business Directory and look for Nadiri Fine Food.
SSI is a founding member of Sydney Alliance — a coalition of civic organisations from the union, faith, education and community sectors working together on issues of the common good.
The recent assembly with Minister Roberts, which followed three hard years of campaigning with various political stakeholders, was an opportunity for Sydney Alliance to share real stories about how the housing affordability crisis is affecting peoples’ lives.
Around 300 people attended the assembly, including Professor Bill Randolph of UNSW, a British and Australian affordable housing expert.
“Affordable housing as we know it is a very complex problem but we know that our planning system has failed to deliver anything in the area of housing affordability. Inclusionary zoning is a way to share the uplift in a parcel of land that results in a change of use from a planning decisions,” he said.
“It’s only reasonable to assume that there should be a public benefit from that publicly accountable decision.”
At the end of the night, Minister Roberts agreed to meet with Sydney Alliance and the Greater Sydney Commission, which has been tasked with revitalising areas of the city.
Sydney Alliance is campaigning to have those revitalisation plans include stronger commitments for affordable housing and access to public transport. The Alliance wants to see a 15—30 per cent inclusion of affordable housing commitment in the proposed plans. For more information, click here.
By SSI Housing Services Program Manager Charles Rich
Over the past year, close to 200 people involved in SSI initiatives have woven these stories of healing into a tapestry-covered couch, creating a work of art that will be displayed as part of the New Beginnings Festival’s Singular/Plural art exhibition.
Many of the stories have been gathered from people involved with the Friendship Garden — an inclusive community gardening project where people from all walks of life bond over the shared experience of gardening.
In developing ideas for the couch, gardeners who are still in the process of seeking asylum in Australia told stories about healing together: moments where their worries melted away, seeing things grow, sharing food, playing football, picking blueberries.
Social designer Tasman Munro, who co-facilitated the couch project as part of his PhD, said: “The aim of the project was to hold space for people to spend time with stories of healing that were gathered from the community. Telling and retelling these stories, while physically building up imagery around them within people’s hands.
“During the project, we were also surprised to see how healing the making process was in itself. People become lost in the craft, and told us it was like meditation.”
As one participant put it: “I have lived through war and very difficult things in my life. I need to do this at home, it makes all the bad memories disappear.”
Tapestry artist Sayd Mahmod generously shared his expertise in the creation of a couch. Originally from Afghanistan, Mr Mahmod has honed his craft for 30 years and happily passed these skills along to contributors in a series of workshops at SSI’s Community Kitchen.
Amid the hubbub of the fortnightly multicultural lunch for refugees and people seeking asylum, Mr Mahmod sat down with small groups to teach them the art of tapestry and work on a design that Friendship Garden members created together to illustrate stories of healing.
Artist Jane Theau, who also co-facilitated the project, said Mr Mahmod tapestry technique was meditative, leaving space for conversations to grow.
“Initially, this was two separate community projects, one art-based, the other teaching woodworking skills in the garden.,” she said. “These were merged into what has proved to be a powerful collaboration involving hundreds of Community Kitchen attendees of all nationalities, young and old, men and women.”
People from the Syrian, Tamil, Rohingya, Afghan, Iraqi, Hazara, Persian, Vietnamese and Nepalese communities are among many contributors who sat together sharing their stories while learning this unique tapestry process from Mr Mahmod.
“If people want to see tangible evidence of how to communicate despite not sharing a language, how to create a thing of beauty through collaboration and compromise, and the importance of community projects, they should view this exhibition — from the comfort of this tapestry couch,” Ms Theau said.
SSI Arts & Culture Coordinator Carolina Triana, who is producing the New Beginnings Festival for Refugee Week, said the couch would be displayed with work from other artists from refugee backgrounds, along with more established Australian artists. Curated by Denise Thwaites, the Singular/Plural exhibition will be on display at 107 Projects from June 21 to July 2.
“Exiled artists, filmmakers and craftspeople have made significant contributions to the Australian creative industries. This festival is a chance for Sydneysiders to experience art, film, installations and more, while also learning about the cultural heritage and artistic practices of some of our newest community members,” she said.
“We hope to facilitate creative exchanges between refugee and non-refugee communities. Getting to know someone through their art makes us focus on their creativity and potential — labels are no longer relevant.”
The New Beginnings Festival for Refugee Week is the first component of SSI’s New Beginnings: Refugee Arts & Culture Festival, which involves a number of creative events throughout 2017.
Redfern’s premier creative hub 107 Projects will host the Refugee Week events from June 21 to July 2, inspiring creative conversations through a mix of visual arts, film, installations and workshops.
However, these three budding businesspeople have chosen to dedicate part of their spare time to something that makes them stand out from the crowd. They are using the knowledge gained from their degree to help people of migrant and refugee background start their own business by interning for Ignite Small Business Start-ups.
Ignite is an SSI initiative that facilitates business creation for people of migrant and refugee background who are keen to establish a small business or expand an existing one.
“From the moment we started university, teachers had been telling us how competitive the working market is and how important it is to have something that differentiates your resume from the rest,” Ms Sahrulazizi said.
“So, doing an internship wasn’t compulsory, but I decided to do it in order to get a good job.”
Mr Bahar, from Miranda, had an interest in the not-for-profit sector and chose to do his internship at Ignite after being offered a few possibilities by the university student placement office, he said.
“We’ve helped some of the clients here at Ignite to create business, marketing and finance plans for their projects,” Mr Bahar said. “It’s been far more challenging than any other subject I had done before, but I enjoyed every minute of it.”
For Mr Hu, an international student from China, interning at Ignite has also been an opportunity to learn about Australian workplace culture and get local experience, he said.
The three students have supported several Ignite entrepreneurs, including Yarrie Bangura from Sierra Leone who sells a handmade bottled ginger drink to Iman and his team, who provide lighting and signage solutions.
“Interning at Ignite has been a great opportunity for all of us,” Ms Sahrulazizi said. “Besides learning the ins and outs of how businesses operate, we’ve also learned about the passion one needs and the struggles to overcome to be successful in establishing your own business.”
“Also, during our internship at Ignite we’ve learned that refugees don’t just arrive in Australia and sit down, waiting to be offered help. They work very hard and in many cases, like the ones supported by Ignite, they contribute very positively to the economy.”
However, it had been three years since she and her family moved to Australia and she was still homesick. In fact, since her arrival she had felt extremely lonely, a situation that, she said, dragged her into a permanent state of depression and anxiety.
One day Mina met an SSI Linker, Rizwana, at a community event where she was doing a presentation about Ability Links NSW (ALNSW), a program that supports people with disability, thier family and carers in achieving their goals.
SSI delivers ALNSW through its Linkers, who have extensive knowledge of their local communities and provide a locally-based, first point of contact for people who want to access support and services in their community.
After the presentation, Mina was handed a brochure, which she read and kept in her bag. After days of hesitation, she gathered the courage to call the phone number and arranged a meeting with Rizwana.
Mina told her Linker about her passions and dreams and how she wanted to feel useful again, as she did back in Pakistan. After assessing her situation, Rizwana linked her with a support group in her local area.
Slowly, Mina started socialising again and getting her confidence back, to the point she began to volunteer in the group’s activities as an organiser.
This was the first step that led her, with the help of her Linker, to apply and eventually get a job as bicultural health educator at South Western Sydney Local Health District.
“She is very happy now and has become an active member of the community as a bi-cultural health educator facilitating women’s health sessions in Urdu and Hindi,” said SSI Linker Rizwana.
To find your nearest SSI Linker, call (02) 8713 9200 or email abilitylinks@ssi.org.au.
Laden, originall from Iran, at the Auburn Friendship Garden.
Ladan, a former refugee from Iran, volunteers in her own community and helps her family but also finds volunteering for the wider community very enjoyable, she said.
She has been volunteering in the Friendship Garden for only six months.
Some of her family, her niece and nephew, recently arrived in Australia as refugees — the first time she had seen them in 18 years. She saw that SSI was helping themand became interested in the assistance SSI was providing.
“When I came in 1999 as a refugee there wasn’t such a service.” She said. “We suffered a lot being alone in a new country. We didn’t know the language. It was very different.
“I was very pleased with how they help them to settle now. It is much easier and comfortable for them to feel at home.”
So Ladan thought she could use her own experience and Persian language skills to be useful and help the newcomers to feel more welcome and part of the society. And it was a way she could give back something to the country, she said.
Ladan said she enjoyed gardening but dids not have a very professional approach to the hobby. She plants everything she likes
“It is very relaxing for me,” she said. “The time I want to be by myself and enjoy and relax is to be in the garden.
“I lose track of time. It is a very small garden at home but sometimes I spend two or three hours there.”
Ladan comes to Friendship Garden every Thursday and has made friends with people from many countries and from different backgrounds — people who have been refugees or are still settling in, as well as other volunteers and coordinators.
They all like coming to the garden, she said.
“Most of them straight away say ‘Good morning’ and are ready to go and do something. Sometimes you have to help them find the plant for the day but they are very keen.”
She enjoys helping. “It is very good. I do two things mostly. One is interpreting, so the coordinator can communicate with a lot of the gardeners. And I help them in the garden as well, to use my knowledge about the plants.”
Ladan also appreciates the teamwork involved. The coordinators are very consultative and always ask participants what they think, she said.
People bring plants and seeds from their old country, something that reminds them of home; for example, white mulberry, which is very popular in Iran and Afghanistan.
Ladan wants to plant a sweet lemon, which in Iran and Afghanistan is used as a medication for colds, to make the garden even more multicultural.
She has seen how rapidly the garden has developed in recent months and how some plants have flourished.
“We picked so much basil. Everyone could take some home and make pesto. Everybody enjoys what they grow here.
“You can see the result of your work in the garden as you harvest something and everyone is oh so happy. Everybody had a piece of watermelon. We had lots of carrots and beetroots.
“It’s like a baby when you plant something and see it grow and then it’s time for harvesting.
“We use everything from the garden, even herbs to make refreshing drinks.”
Ladan likes volunteering because she needs to listen and cooperate with everybody but is not obligated to anyone, only to herself.
“You show your respect for others, help the community and enjoy your own thoughts and feelings. You don’t have to but you do it because you want to and you are enjoying it.”
In Iran, Ladan was a radiation therapist. Now she is looking for a new job — something she enjoys, like volunteering, working with people.
Al Moroni loved volunteering at SSI’s Community Kitchen and at Walk Together.
“It’s probably the way I was raised, with my mum telling us we had to be good and help other people,” he said.
Al left Brazil in 2006, lived in New Zealand for a year, and then came to Australia looking for adventure. He says he couldn’t go home because he fell in love with this country.
“Australia helped me to grow up. Living on my own, I really found myself. I enjoy the democracy we have here and being able to discuss and talk about anything. I value that a lot,” he said.
Al’s first job in Sydney was putting up marquees for events. He then worked for a wholesale distributor. But he never had a passion for that work.
“Two years ago I decided to do something about it and got a diploma in community services, which I enjoyed very much,” he said. “I had to do a placement and wanted to do something with refugees and asylum seekers. A friend knew someone at SSI so I applied there and did my placement at SSI’s Ashfield office.
“I learned so much and it was wonderful. I really got to know SSI and what SSI stands for and I haven’t left since.”
Part of Al’s placement involved Community Kitchen. He liked it so much he continued doing volunteer work there when his placement finished.
“I also volunteered at Walk Together,” he said “I really came out of my shell with that experience because I was a team leader. It was a great experience.”
Al said he had missed volunteering at Community Kitchen since he started a full-time position with SSI’s Out of Home Care program.
“It was great,” he said. “It was an opportunity to be face-to-face with people from all walks of life and cooking for them. A big part of our socialising is related to food, sitting around and talking to people. We do a lot of things with food involved.”
Al said Community Kitchen provided an opportunity to talk to people when they were relaxed and having a good time.
“I had a great experience talking to refugees and people who have struggled a lot recently in their lives,” he said. “I felt very privileged to be able to do that and make a contribution — chopping and preparing food and organising games.
“I love volunteering. The best part about volunteering is that I feel I am giving something back to the community. I believe it is not all take.
“I think that when people are watching sport or having all that passion about some guys playing games — if they would volunteer and give that time to other people and use all that passion toward helping someone else that would be much more rewarding.”
Everything is going smoothly with his new job but Al still wants to volunteer.
“I used to volunteer in Brazil but it became a big thing for me here in Australia,” he said. “I don’t think I’m ever going to stop doing it.”
Want to make a difference in SSI’s efforts to support humanitarian entrants, refugees and people seeking asylum? SSI volunteers work in a range of roles that will suit a various interests, expertise and availabilities.
Find out how you can make a difference by using the link below.
Landlord Neil Jones*, made the ethical choice to not make the greatest possible profit from his granny flat in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Instead, he made the decision to rent it out through SSI Housing, a registered property management agent, helping to increase affordable housing options for the community.
“We finished building our granny flat at the time the humanitarian crisis in Syria began,” Mr Jones said. “While we were considering what to do with it, I remember seeing all the images of Syrian refugees on TV and simultaneously hearing the negative lights refugees and asylum seekers are often portrayed in the media, which we didn’t agree at all with.”
“And suddenly this idea came to us; we could actually do something useful with our granny flat to contribute positively to the situation of at least one family of refugees arriving in Australia.”
Through the Northern Beaches Refugee Initiative (NBRI) – a community organisation that Mr Jones is a volunteer with – they were linked to SSI Housing.
As a community housing provider registered by the Registrar of Community Housing, SSI Housing can act as the managing agent on behalf of property owners.
Low, flat rate management fees mean that in most cases the savings can be passed onto to the tenant.
Alternatively, landlords can choose to offer their properties at a reduced market rate to help increase the long-term accommodation options for people who face challenges getting into the rental market, particularly refugees.
SSI manages a private property portfolio for the provision of long-term housing for refugees and other people in need within the wider community.
“As a landlord, it is very beneficial to have an organisation like SSI Housing that contractually manages the agreement with the tenant, rather than having to take that on yourself,” Tony added.
“In case anything goes wrong with the property, SSI can step in do what is needed. It is very comforting to have that type of safety net and they provide a very cost effective management service for me. ”
Although landlords can rent their properties at market rates, many of the property owners with SSI Housing choose to offer their properties at a reduced rate to make it easier for recently arrived refugees who do not have a local rental history and face challenges getting into the rental market.
The two families have adjusted very well to the new situation and the experience has been completely worth it so far, Mr Jones said.
“Our tenants’ daughters are pretty much the same age as ours, so they started playing together from very early on and this kind of accelerated the process of establishing a relationship,” he said. “We quickly became just parents who are part of the same community, who look out for each other as you do with your neighbours.
“We didn’t know what to expect, but it’s worked out very well and we are very happy with the decision we made.”
For more information about how SSI can assist landlords to manage their property, please contact SSI at housing@ssi.org.au
Zakia Housaini likes volunteering with SSI because “I am doing everything with my heart”.
Zakia discovered SSI while studying homelessness and disability during her HSC community services course. When she told her teacher how much she enjoyed the course her teacher suggested she volunteer with a number of organisations.
She expressed interest in volunteering through the SSI website and was very excited when SSI contacted her to say she had been selected.
“The very first day of my induction was a wonderful expression of SSI for me. It started from there,” Zakia said.
That was a year ago. She received many calls from volunteer coordinators and has been accepting them ever since.
Zakia started as a volunteer employment readiness assistant, supporting an SSI Employment Services initiative helping recently arrived refugees prepare for the Australian workforce.
From there she moved on to many other roles within SSI.
“I’m kind of everywhere,” she said.
Now she is an administrator working with SSI Volunteer Program Coordinator Quan-Minh Chau.
A recent task was preparing certificates for inductions.
“Quany is a sweetheart and is always happy to see me. She always checks up on me to see how I’m doing. Everyone at SSI is fascinating,” Zakia said
“That’s one reason I have developed so much confidence — working with people in SSI.”
Zakia also enjoyed working with SSI’s Community Engagement program.
“There were so many beautiful people from different backgrounds,” she said.
A highlight was her time working with Community Engagement Coordinator Marcela Hart on Walk Together Sydney, hosted by SSI and Welcome to Australia.
“That was the best experience of my life. We had to contact many organisations to invite them to the rally. That really built up my confidence,” Zakia said.
“Just talking to people about why we were there made me proud of what I was doing, standing up for people to be welcomed, to love one another, to be united.
“I met so many good people from within SSI and outside SSI. I built strong relationships that day.”
Zakia is studying primary teaching at university while studying for a Certificate IV in Community Services at TAFE.
And she works part-time as a youth advisor with Community Migrant Resource Centre in Parramatta.
But she still makes sure she has time to volunteer with SSI.
Zakia says she wants to continue her volunteering position because if she were to be paid for that work I would not be the same.
“I like volunteering because I am doing everything with my heart, not to get paid,” she said.
“I feel really ethical when I do that. I feel like I am doing the right thing. It sounds like a cliché but not everything is about money.
“When I developed an interest working with diverse people I gained a strong understanding of the real depth of people’s lives.
“As I interacted with each individual, I was fortunate enough to gain their trust so they would share their experiences with me. I felt privileged to sit and hear, and I felt I was doing something for these people that helped them out in their life.
“That made me feel that whatever I was doing I’m doing great. When I did something and saw the smile in their faces I felt I was on the right track while being in their service.
“And it’s fun.”
Zakia’s parents are proud that she is volunteering.
“I’ve been bragging about how good SSI is so my mum is interested in volunteering too,” she said.
“Every part of my participation within SSI has been amazing. I would love to eventually get a job with SSI. I would stay forever.
“It’s amazing.”
Want to make a difference in our efforts to support humanitarian entrants, refugees and people seeking asylum? Here at SSI volunteers work in a range of roles that will suit various interests, expertise and availabilities. Click the button below to find out more.