Since arriving in Australia in August last year, Ms Zahrah and her family have developed a supportive network of neighbours and friends. Her children have received places at schools that accommodate their respective abilities. Ms Zahrah will this month put her newfound free time to use studying English at NAVITAS.
Ms Zahrah has also joined a women’s group co-run by SSI and CORE Multicultural Communities that brings together more than two dozen women from refugee backgrounds each Friday for structured education sessions covering new topics each term.
For the past eight weeks, the women’s group has run the ‘Love Your Heart’ exercise and education program to teach heart-healthy habits, facilitated by NSW Refugee Health.
“I’m already physically active with what I do to look after my children each day, but I’ve really enjoyed making connections,” Ms Zahrah said. “It’s a good way to socialise and meet other women.
“Here, people ask about me and my children, and they want to support us. There is freedom for me to speak and voice my opinions.”
That support and friendship is like night and day compared with Ms Zahrah’s experience in her native country.
“To begin with, our life was a standard village life, but we began to experience persecution. Life became hard,” she said.
Fearing for the safety of herself and her children, Ms Zahrah fled to another area of Iraq, where the Mandean community helped her to apply for refugee status and ultimately escape to Jordan.
The family of five last year arrived in Australia, where SSI’s Humanitarian Settlement Services program provided a spectrum of support services to help the new arrivals settle in Australia.
HSS staff members also referred Ms Zahrah to the women’s group, which is one of the ways SSI and its member Migrant Resource Centres such as CORE introduce new arrivals to the support available to them once they exit the HSS program.
Since the women’s group was founded two years ago, a core group of women have attended each week. Many of the women in the group are supported by the NSW Settlement Partnership, a consortium of community organisations, led by SSI, that delivers settlement support for humanitarian entrants and other eligible migrants in their first five years of life in Australia. Ms Zahrah is one of the newer members of the group but has already forged many new friendships and plans to continue attending.
“We weren’t given many chances in Iraq, but we’re hoping for the best from life here in Sydney,” she said.
“My main focus is on my children, but if there is an opportunity to work in future when my English improves, I’d like to take it.”
Coming to Australia has also opened up opportunities for Ms Zahrah’s children Bassam, 15, Juman, 12, and Marma, three, who all live with different types of disability.
“There are organisations out there like SSI and the government who want to help look after my children and give them what they need,” she said.
“I hope to see them grow and continue studying here.”
With children and migrants over-represented in the summer’s drowning statistics, SSI and NSW Refugee Health Service collaborated with Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association to run Oceans Without Borders — a one-day water awareness program to help close to 37 young people from refugee backgrounds learn how to safely enjoy the beach.
Beginning the day in Fairfield, the group travelled to Circular Quay where many saw Sydney Harbour for the first time on the ferry to Manly Life Saving Club. With Surf Educate Australia, the young people learned how to catch a wave, have fun and be confident in the water.
For many participants, this was also their first time experiencing the beach in Australia.
“This is my first time swimming in the ocean, and it’s a good feeling,” said 16-year-old Frans, from Iraq.
“It’s good exercise, and it’s good to learn these skills. We’ll come back, and bring our friends — I’d like to try surfing.”
SSI’s Community Engagement Manager Trina Soulos said it was a great opportunity to introduce a significant part of Australian culture to young people who had recently arrived in the community.
“There have been a number of drownings of newly arrived migrants in recent years so it is important that they become familiar with water safety,” she said.
“It’s also a marvellous occasion for inclusion, giving young people the chance to participate in activities that would be unfamiliar to them.”
She said many of the participants studied at the Fairfield High School Intensive English Centre and she anticipated they would pass on what they learned to their classmates.
Oceans Without Borders follows on from SSI’s successful Surfing Without Borders initiative, which uses surfing to help people seeking asylum to overcome social barriers and develop new community connections.
We see that reflected every day in the work we do at SSI. A number of our staff members are community leaders in their own right. Others have lived experience that compels them to give above and beyond their nine-to-five job.
Then we have the people who volunteer their time to help create safe, welcoming environments, where the individuals and families SSI supports can flourish.
The empathy and warmth of volunteers enriches so many aspects of our organisation. Volunteers provide career guidance to young workers and job seekers. They help newly arrived refugees navigate their first few days in Australia. They mentor fledgling entrepreneurs and encourage individuals and families to participate in the community through activities such as Community Kitchen, Playtime and the Friendship Garden.
Next week is National Volunteer Week, a chance to recognise people from all walks of life for the shared altruism that sees them give up their time to work for the common good.
Volunteering leads to an astounding increase in social capital not only for organisations like SSI but for our country as a whole. That social capital is what forges links between individuals and communities, enabling us to trust each other and work cooperatively. It means more goodwill and fellowship — shared values, understanding and sense of identity.
Last month I had the honour of meeting Nobel Peace Prize winner and social entrepreneur Muhammad Yunus, who co-founded a global initiative that creates and empowers social businesses to address and solve problems around the world.
Speaking at the Australasian Social Business Forum, he challenged businesses, entrepreneurs and everyday community members to find a way to use their professional vocation to benefit the community.
Mr Yunus argued that every organisation should have a social element — a way of using its profits for good. Reinvesting profits to address social injustices is the only way to disrupt a world where the eight richest people have the same combined wealth as the poorest half of our global population.
It’s inevitable in the coming years that not-for-profit organisations like SSI will also be disrupted. Disruption is pervasive; it’s something we’re seeing all over the world, socially, economically and in unexpected phenomena such as Brexit and the election of US President Donald Trump.
But we must avoid having to dodge the bullet of unprecedented change and instead find a way to shape it. For SSI, that means keeping one eye on the horizon — staying ahead of the bell-curve, while remaining true to our purpose of working with vulnerable people and communities to build their potential.
As an organisation, a lot of our funding comes from government contracts. The fact that we deliver those services efficiently and effectively without compromising quality is something of which I’m immensely proud. Robust management means we are able to run our organisation like a social business, reinvesting our surpluses in things that not only add value to those contracted services but also achieve broader social outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
We invest in things that reap rewards for the communities we work with, whether that’s through donations, sponsorships or self-funded initiatives like Ignite Small Business Start-ups or our Arts & Culture Program.
It is through such innovation and the efforts of social businesses, volunteers and civil society that we can hope to achieve a world where all people have the opportunity and the means to achieve their full potential.
As Muhammad Yunus puts it: “Making money is no fun. Contributing to and changing the world is a lot more fun.”
Taking place as part of Youth Week festivities, the group of 15 to 25-year-olds included refugees and people seeking asylum from countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, most of whom had arrived in Australia within the past six months. A big part of the day was also the young people having a chance to get to know each other and have fun in a safe, friendly environment.
The forum program was built around the three key areas of employment, education and English language, which form a core part of the support SSI offers to refugees under its Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) program and Settlement Support Program (SSP).
The E3 Youth Conference was spearheaded by the Youth Collective, an initiative established by SSI and its member MRCs to involve multicultural young people in improving outcomes for their peers.
Youth Collective Steering Committee member and high-school student Rooan Al Kalmashi, who co-emceed the forum, said it had inspired her to enhance her knowledge to support other young people in her network.
“As a youth advocate, my vision is to encourage active citizenship and to give a voice to youth. Events like this one equip youth with the knowledge and skills required to ensure that their settlement process is easier and to assist them in reaching their full potential,” she said.
Rooan’s co-emcee was Simon Shahin, a Syrian refugee who arrived in Australia less than two years ago.
“I really enjoyed attending this E3 Youth Conference as it gave me a chance to help youth from multicultural backgrounds who are settling in Australia and preparing them for later career opportunities,” said Simon.
The forum’s keynote address was delivered by 17-year-old Harpreet Dhillon, a young Sydney woman who was recently sponsored by SSI to become the youngest Australian delegate at the 61st session of the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women at UN headquarters in New York.
Harpreet spoke about her incredible experiences in New York, getting to share her story with young people from around the world.
She also told the story of her own journey to self-acceptance, becoming the first woman in her family to finish high school. Harpreet said learning to understand the importance of diversity was what led her towards dedicating her time to help other young people from multicultural backgrounds.
SSI Youth Projects Coordinator Dor Akech Achiek said the E3 Youth Forum wasn’t just a chance for young people to improve their understanding of employment, English language and education in Australia; it was also an opportunity to have fun.
“One of my favourite parts of the day was seeing attendees come together for a range of activities of their choice such as a friendly soccer match and a game of tag on the lawns outside the Refugee Welcome Centre,” he said.
“An important outcome from the forum has also been the chance to collect feedback from these newly arrived young refugees on the challenges they face when it comes to employment, education and English. We’ve learned a lot from them as well.”
For more information about the Youth Collective, visit its website.
Over 200 young refugees have spent a day developing the fundamental skills to successfully settle in Australia at SSI’s E3 Youth Forum, a day of workshops and activities held at the Refugee Welcome Centre in Callan Park earlier this month.
Bollyfit dancers, SSI volunteers and Scooby Doo all contributed to the fun and hospitality at Community Kitchen’s Tamil New Year and Easter celebrations.
The event was vibrant with activities offered for adults and children organised in partnership with Community Migrant Resource Centre and the Tamil Women’s Development Group.
Activities included traditional music and dance performances, with Tamil clients and community members preparing a delicious traditional meal that was served by Community Kitchen’s always cheerful volunteers.
In the Friendship Garden, playgroup members were joined in an Easter egg hunt by dancers from the Bollyfit Dance Studio.
Ferrero generously donated 60 Kinder Surprise Easter chocolates for the egg hunt, which kept the children and Scooby Doo busy for some time.
SSI CEO, Violet Roumeliotis, Allianz’s Tim Dawson and scholarship committee members celebrate with scholarship recipients.
Forty-eight people from a refugee background, needing financial assistance for their school education or attaining local recognition for their qualifications, will now get the support they need.
SSI CEO, Violet Roumeliotis, joined Allianz’s Chief Human Resources Manager, Tim Dawson, to celebrate the success of the scholarship recipients with families, friends, teachers and SSI staff.
The SSI Allianz Refugee Scholarships were created to minimise the financial barriers experienced by refugees as they participate in the NSW education system.
More than $90,000 — including $50,000 from Allianz — was allocated to individuals across all levels of the education system: primary school, secondary school, vocational education and training, university, and skills and qualifications recognition.
Mr Dawson said Allianz was keen to support the scholarships because it wanted to help people get job ready. Now it was playing a part in the students’ development and hopefully enriching their futures.
Scholarships reached across NSW, to students from Albury and Wagga Wagga in the south to Coffs Harbour in the north.
Among recipients present at the function was Tenzin, a refugee studying at Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design, who came to Australia with her family from India, where she was born as a stateless child in a refugee settlement.
She says she loves learning about science and that the SSI Allianz Scholarship will help make her educational necessities more affordable and make available extracurricular activities that offer further educational opportunities.
Nadine, from Syria, attends Keira High School. After her home in Homs was destroyed she lived in Damascus and Beirut before arriving in Australia.
Her education in Australia is very important to her because her journey meant she missed four years of schooling. When she leaves school she wants to study to be a paediatrician.
She says with a good education a refugee will be better placed to make a positive contribution to society. “This is something refugees really want to do to repay Australia’s kindness to them.”
There are so many other touching and uplifting stories: Milada, whose scholarship will support her to continue studying Year 8; Balquees, who will use it to have her PhD recognised in Australia; or Rebecca, who’s studying for a Diploma of Nursing at TAFE.
Our vision for the SSI Allianz Scholarships has been that they complement the tremendous work SSI and its partner organisations are already doing for refugees and asylum seekers.
We believe we have an obligation to give something back to our communities, to add value and to intervene and support social cohesion.
We want to provide opportunities for young people to finish their schooling and to support families who have come to Australia with passions and talents and skills and a fire to make this country their home, and to give something back.
Importantly, these scholarships reflect our fundamental view that everyone has the right to meet their potential and to live the life they want to live.
In her first media conference after being sworn in as NSW Premier in January 2017, Ms Gladys Berejiklian vowed to address the housing affordability crisis and said that there was more the government could do about the ‘biggest issue people have across the state’.
Despite stereotypes about homelessness, the reality is that those impacted by the housing affordability crisis are ordinary families – and particularly single people – on minimum wages or income support payments who are forced to choose between basic necessities – such as paying bills, buying food, seeing a doctor – or paying rent.
What exactly is affordable housing, who needs it and why is it so hard to find?
Register now for your chance to hear our distinguished panel of speakers share their thoughts about the causes and consequences surrounding the current housing affordability crisis, and options that could be adopted in NSW to improve the situation.
Date: Thursday April 27, 2017
Time: 6:00pm for a 6:30pm start
Location: Auditorium, SSI Head Office, Level 2, 158 Liverpool Road, Ashfield
General admission: $15.00
Collected funds will go towards supporting SSI initiatives.
Guest speakers
Ms Tracy Howe
CEO NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS)
Tracy is a legally trained advocate with a commitment to human rights, addressing community disadvantage and gender inequality. Previously, Tracy has worked in both government and non-government settings, including with Domestic Violence NSW as Chief Executive Officer and as a senior legal advisor in Federal government. Tracy currently sits on the NSW Government’s Social Impact Investment Expert Advisory Group and is appointed to the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Council, the NSW Premier’s Council on Homelessness and was the NSW non-government representative on the National Plan Implementation Panel for the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children.
Dr Louise Crabtree
Senior Research Fellow and Director of Engagement, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University
Louise Crabtree’s research and passion focuses on housing affordability, community-based development, and urban sustainability.
Currently her work focuses on models of permanently affordable home ownership, including on Aboriginal lands. The strength and relevance of her work has been recognised in her receipt of the 2009 Housing Minister’s Award for Early Career Researchers, and in the team she leads receiving the 2014 Deputy Vice Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award for Research Excellence through Partnership and being Highly Commended for the 2014 Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in University Engagement.
Mr Ned Cutcher
Senior Policy Officer, Tenants’ Union of NSW
Ned Cutcher has worked and volunteered for a number of Tenants’ Advice and Advocacy Services across Sydney and the Central Coast. His commitment to housing justice is informed by his experience as a tenants’ advocate, and he only wears a suit when he has to.
Mr Patrick Yeung
Executive Manager, SSI Housing.
Patrick Yeung administers all SSI social public housing and accommodation programs, services and properties including safety and compliance with established codes and standards. He also provides leadership in the development of strategic partnerships that facilitate access to a range of housing options and innovative housing services delivery practice models.
Patrick has experience in the development and management of social and affordable housing in NSW over 20 years. He has worked for a number of social housing providers in various senior positions, including community housing operational programs, strategic planning, asset management, business development, organisational development and management.
The discussion will be facilitated by SSI Housing Program Manager Charles Rich.
About the SSI Speakers’ Series
Settlement Services International (SSI) is a community-based not-for-profit organisation providing a range of services in the areas of refugee settlement, migrant support services, asylum seeker assistance, housing, multicultural foster care, disability support, employment services and youth support in NSW.
SSI is committed to ensuring that people in vulnerable communities in NSW are supported and resourced to fulfill their potential as members of the Australian community.
SSI Speakers’ Series was developed to inform, connect and challenge SSI staff, stakeholders and the wider community by providing opportunities for discussion on current affairs that enhance knowledge and awareness about relevant issues impacting SSI clients and communities.
It is a quarterly event, hosted at SSI head office in Ashfield, and is now in its fourth year.
Louise Voigt dedicated her life to advocate for the rights of children in out-of-home care.
Ms Voigt had a long involvement with Barnardos Australia, where she was CEO and Director of Welfare for over 30 years.
During her life, Ms Voigt was a passionate and tireless advocate for child protection in Australia, and inspired the development of evidence-based practice. Many of the approaches she pioneered are now standard across the child welfare sector.
Ms Voigt’s strong sense of social justice for the most vulnerable in our community, which helped transform the lives of thousands of children in NSW, will long be remembered in the child welfare sector and among the community in general.
Her legacy includes the work she carried out helping vulnerable families at risk through easily accessible early intervention programs and to prevent the premature removal of children.
She received the NSW Association of Social Workers Social Justice Award and Lifetime Achievement awards from the Association of Child Welfare Agencies (ACWA) and the University of Sydney.
Our thoughts are with Ms Voigt’s family, who has requested privacy at this difficult time. A public memorial will take place in coming months.
ALNSW supports people with disability, their carers and family
Their situation started to improve the day she was referred to the Ability Links NSW (ALNSW) program by her case manager at Liverpool Migrant Resource Centre, Mrs Alkhameesi said.
ALNSW is a free program delivered by SSI that supports people with disability, their family and carers to live the life they want as valued and equal members of their community.
By using a flexible approach, it taps into people’s unique potential, and helps to promote genuine inclusion and opportunities within communities to drive real change.
With her husband suffering from mental health issues due to the trauma experienced during war and with his mobility restricted after undergoing major surgery, Mrs Alkhameesi had become his full time carer. Mrs Alkhameesi also had some physical health issues and restricted mobility after several surgical interventions to solve her chronic health problems.
She contacted her local SSI Linker Zaidoon Rassak, whom she could speak with in her native Arabic and who coincidentally was also from Iraq.
ALNSW ‘Linkers’ work closely with people to support them to develop and realise their goals. Many SSI Linkers are bicultural and bilingual, making it easier for people with disability from all backgrounds to access the resources they need.
After discussing Mrs Alkhameesi’scurrent situation, they decided to tackle the most urgent needs affecting the family – the lack of social and financial support.
The first step was to apply for Mr Alkhameesi’s Disability Support Pension and Mrs Alkhameesi Carer’s allowance at Centrelink.
Over the following weeks, Mrs Alkhameesi received information about other services she could access, finally acquiring a Companion Card that entitles her and her husband to improve their participation in the community with low or no cost.
However, the main turning point for the Alkhameesi family was when their Linker’s efforts resulted in obtaining an electric scooter to overcome Mr Alkhameesi’s mobility issues. After approaching loan programs to purchase mobility scooters, Mr Rassak contacted government and community organisations until the scooter could be purchased from a scooter provided, who was happy to offer a discount to ALNSW participants from that day onwards.
“I couldn’t believe that we were entitled to all these great services and we didn’t know about them,” Mrs Alkhameesi. “It would have impossible for us to access them without Zaidoon, we couldn’t be happier.”
Download Sponsorship Prospectus
The event
The SSI Mosaic Gala will be held at the stylish Ivy Ballroom on Friday, September 14, 2018. An estimated 400 guests will attend. Purchase tickets/tables now!
The concept of a mosaic is about bringing many different elements together to form a beautiful whole. In this way, it encapsulates the spirit of diversity and social cohesion, and what can be achieved when we value differences and empower people to integrate and reach their potential.
By providing an inspiring and positive experience we aim to increase our engagement with existing and new supporters in the corporate and philanthropic sectors.
The SSI Mosaic Gala will be a ticketed, fundraising, black-tie gala dinner event with an international/multicultural theme that will showcase the diverse cultures in Australia.
There will be a tantalising degustation menu featuring cuisines from various cultures and entertainment will be provided by groups presenting traditional dance and musical performances.
Gala proceeds
The SSI Mosaic Gala will raise funds to support two SSI refugee programs —Ignite Small Business Start-ups and Refugee Scholarships — and raise awareness of SSI’s work with refugees, focusing on education and employment as a pathway to inclusion, independence and success after settling in a new country.
Persecution, war, political instability and displacement are all factors that lead individuals and families to leave their homes to seek permanent protection elsewhere, including Australia.
Refugees who come to Australia face many challenges during settlement, such as financial hardship, dealing with experiences of torture and trauma, and family separation; yet Australia is a nation built on immigration. We have a long history of providing safe asylum to refugees, many of whom have gone on to make great civil, social and economic contributions to Australian society.
Refugee Scholarships
SSI Refugee Scholarships were created to minimise the financial barriers experienced by refugees as they participate in the NSW education system. The scholarships directly support people from refugee backgrounds in NSW to achieve independence.
SSI provides targeted scholarships to those who are most in need and willing to overcome social and economic challenges. In response to the various needs of refugee communities, scholarships are offered to individuals across all levels of the education system, including primary school, secondary school, university, vocational education and training, and skills and qualifications recognition.
Ignite Small Business Start-ups
SSI Ignite Small Business Starts-ups is an initiative that facilitates business creation for people from refugee backgrounds who are passionate to establish a small business or expand an existing one.
Fledgling entrepreneurs are supported by Ignite enterprise facilitators, business mentors and a resource team made up of volunteers from local businesses, councils, chambers of commerce and other individuals who can share their business knowledge and skills. Over 60 businesses have been established.
Many recently arrived refugees face significant barriers to employment in Australia, particularly during the early stages of their settlement.
The scholarships and Ignite initiatives are avenues through which SSI works with people to actively provide support to ensure meaningful social and economic participation, through education and employment.
The cause
Settlement Services International (SSI) is a leading, community-based, not-for-profit humanitarian organisation providing a range of services, including refugee and migrant settlement in NSW. It has operated since 2000 and in 2016 provided services to over 14,000 refugees, humanitarian entrants and asylum seekers.
Why we do what we do
SSI believes that providing appropriate support to refugee and humanitarian entrants in their initial settlement is crucial to their long-term success living in the Australian community.
Building on that foundation, our settlement services provide support for clients, promoting their economic and personal wellbeing, independence and community connectedness, so they can become fully-functioning members of society.