New Hub building for Yagoona: bringing the community together.
Maria Skotoris, Community Hub Leader at Yagoona Public School, said Harmony Day was all about respecting diversity and fostering a sense of belonging for everyone. She picked Harmony Day to launch the new building because the Hub had a very similar message: “everyone belongs”.
“It aims to engage and connect parents in their school and their community and in doing so improve language, literacy and learning outcomes for not only themselves but also for their children,” she said.
Celebrations at the opening included a smoking ceremony, guest speakers, colourful costumes, and generous families sharing their food and artistic talents.
State Member for Bankstown Tania Mihailuk officially opened the building, which was funded through the Community Building Partnership program.
Ms Mihailuk, who supported the school P&C’s application for a grant for the building, said, “It doesn’t just take parents or a school to raise a child, it takes a whole community.”
The Hub was a wonderful opportunity for the school to include not just children but also parents and to enrich all their lives, she said.
“This will not only be a meeting and social room for the Yagoona P&C, but also a welcoming place where parents and students will be able to engage with local support services offered through organisations such as the Bankstown Women’s Health Centre, Settlement Services International, and TAFE NSW,” she said
Ms Skotoris, who is also Yagoona P&C President, said the much-needed facility would be a catalyst for bringing the community together.
Previously the Hub ran programs wherever it could, making use of any available areas within the school. Now it had the convenience of running its many programs for parents in one regular space, she said.
“Our Community Hub has over the years helped connect parents to other parents they probably would not have known,” she said.
“This building will be a welcoming space for all the community that will help support connections for families and increase parent confidence, knowledge and learning.”
Zeinab Musseme, a parent who is now employed as a direct result of being part of the Hub, said when she first joined the Hub she felt a bond between herself, other parents and the school. She felt belonging.
Because of Ms Skotoris’ confidence in her, she was able to complete the degree for which she was studying and become Community Hub Leader at Georges Hall Public School, she said.
Reflecting on the day, Community Hub Team Leader Lilyana Theodossiou said, “It was great to see how welcoming and adaptable the Hub space is. I saw the room transform from a hype of preparation activity in the morning to a quiet learning space in the afternoon.
“By talking to the women it was evident how much they valued the hub and a number of them mentioned the opportunity and convenience of being able to access education in their local school community.”
The launch of the Yagoona Hub building comes as Community Hubs in NSW is expanding with the addition of 11 new Hubs in western Sydney.
For many people, that process is eased with help from older relatives or friends who have experience with the local job market and employment practices — and maybe even warm business contacts.
For refugees though, the process of finding a job contains many challenges, no matter how many degrees, skills or years of experience you bring to Australia. New arrivals are dealing with language barriers, a lack of local experience and referees, and often, little knowledge about the quirks of the job-seeking process in Australia.
Nonetheless, securing employment remains one of the most integral steps on the pathway to successful settlement. It helps refugees to become economically independent, forge links in the broader community and, ultimately, build a sense of belonging and identity in Australia.
That’s something we at SSI recognise, which is why employment forms a core part of our work with refugees.
It is the basis of our self-funded Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative, which has helped more than 66 people of refugee backgrounds establish their own businesses. An evaluation of the initiative released last month shows the incredible effect Ignite has had in just three short years of operation.
At the time of the study, 68 per cent of Ignite graduates had moved off Centrelink, with some also paying company taxes and generating jobs for others. In-depth interviews with 35 of the entrepreneurs identified savings of $880,000 a year in Centrelink benefits among this group alone.
The success of Ignite has inspired its expansion into other areas. I’m delighted to announce that we have recently launched IgniteAbility Small Business Start-ups for budding entrepreneurs with a disability. We already have 14 entrepreneurs working with our enterprise facilitators.
Like the original initiative, IgniteAbility taps into a part of our community with high rates of entrepreneurship and provides an ecosystem to support these aspiring entrepreneurs to overcome the barriers they face and create their own employment.
But we’re not just focusing on finding work for budding entrepreneurs; SSI is also working with major employers as part of the Friendly Nation Initiative (FNI) — a business-led strategy that seeks to increase employment, mentoring, training and internship opportunities for refugees. It builds partnerships between corporate Australia and leaders in the settlement space like SSI, with the aim of linking business needs with refugee skills.
Just last month, we held a Harmony Day event as part of our involvement with FNI, where attendees enjoyed the African beats and dancing of Karifi Ensemble, along with a diverse spread of canapés from SSI Catering — a social enterprise that gives job seekers work experience in a commercial kitchen environment.
It is this rounded approach to employment — incorporating start-up incubators, employment services, work experience opportunities and partnerships with corporate Australia — that is achieving the best settlement outcomes for the refugees SSI supports.
This was recognised at the Australian Migration and Settlement Awards (AMSA) last month when SSI won the Settlement Innovation category for our approach to supporting refugees, migrants and members of the community in finding employment.
This approach addresses direct employment barriers such as English-language competency and qualification recognition. Through a holistic and integrated settlement support model, we also recognise and address non-vocational barriers such as mental health challenges, housing support and child care.
By supporting refugees and connecting them with employment and training opportunities, we hope to give our new community members the best start to life in Australia and set them on the path to future success.
Violet Roumeliotis
SSI CEO
But this time, the focus is on the apparent burden that some of Australia’s newest, and most vulnerable, community members are placing on housing in the Fairfield local government area.
Newspaper headlines such as Don’t ruin our lives and Help needed fuel speculation about the effect an ‘influx’ of refugees is placing on affordable housing in Fairfield. But what are the facts?
Settlement Services International (SSI) is the largest provider of humanitarian services in NSW, currently supporting 3,700 refugees in the Fairfield area – the majority of whom have found a place to live through the private rental market.
The main reasons newly arrived refugees chose to settle in certain areas are affordability, availability of suitable housing, access to services and proximity to family and community. Fairfield certainly ticks all these boxes, but to understand why there is so much emphasis on these factors, it is important to understand the circumstances that bring people to Australia in search of safety and their experiences upon arrival.
A refugee is someone who, through no fault of their own, has been forced to leave their home country to find security in another country. They must leave behind friends, family, and most of their possessions, often with little or no notice prior to departure.
No-one chooses to become a refugee. An average of 34,000 people are forcibly displayed every day as a result of conflict or persecution. Their first port of call is transient while they await the outcome of their refugee application through the UNHCR – the UN’s refugee agency. The forcibly displaced may be living in a refugee camp or in a neighbouring city bursting with other people in the same situation. Many people live like this for decades; one estimate puts the average duration of such displacement at 17 years.
After what is often years in limbo, and a 25-hour flight, some of the world’s 65 million-plus refugees will arrive in Sydney.
During 2016, SSI supported more than 16,000 refugees, humanitarian entrants and people seeking asylum.
They might be greeted at the airport by family already living here who have waited anxiously to be reunited with them. Or they might be the first branch of their family to come here, arriving to start a new life and new generations here in Australia.
All refugees, however, are entitled to support from the government-funded Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) program during their initial few months in the country. SSI is one of NSW’s leading providers of this program, meaning the majority of humanitarian entrants are greeted at the airport by an SSI staff member.
If new arrivals are not staying with family, they are taken to short-term accommodation which is immediate private rentals that are head-leased by SSI. Here they will find their feet in a new country, and orientate themselves to Sydney with its new language and new systems and services, and with the support of their housing officer, find the type of accommodation best suited for them.
Families that arrived are often larger than a typical Australian family and they therefore require a home with more bedrooms; however, these homes tend to be further from amenities and harder to access on public transport.
There are also a growing number of new community members who are elderly, or who have health and mobility issues and require accessible accommodation, ground floor accommodation and homes that are in close proximity to a hospital.
During this time, humanitarian entrants also go through initial orientation, signing up kids to school, opening bank accounts and the many other things needed to start a new life in a new country.
A key part of this orientation is an introduction to housing in NSW. War and persecution don’t discriminate based on someone’s economic background or community status. Some new arrivals have come from well-established, comfortable backgrounds, while others may have never had 24-hour running water and electricity.
Regardless of a person’s background, SSI housing officers explain life as a tenant in NSW – from how to operate ovens and washing machines, safety with gas, heating and pools, and as granular as rubbish separation and collection. Importantly, it also includes the responsibilities of tenants and landlords.
Each family is assigned a case manager and a housing officer to assist them to navigate the private rental market and this includes assistance with bond paper work and advance rent through Housing NSW Rentstart, and help to set up rental payments, complete condition reports and assist with utility connections.
One thing that is universal to all new arrivals is that they have no local rental or employment history and limited income. They most likely have limited English language skills; they may have experienced trauma or torture, have some have mental health challenges to deal with, and almost all have been separated from family or friends and are feeling anxious.
Soon after arriving, some families experience significant domestic pressure and stress. In an Australian context, there can be significant changes to traditional familial roles. This can affect relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children that can result in domestic and family violence and the separation of families.
Undoubtedly these issues contribute to the extra challenges people of refugee background face while trying to find a home.
These same factors are also experienced by people seeking asylum but are compounded by the lack of certainty surrounding their future in Australia.
An ‘asylum seeker’ is someone who is waiting for their claim for refugee status to be approved by the Australian Government. Every refugee has at some point been an asylum seeker.
People who sought asylum in Australia after 2013 are living in Nauru or Manus Island, but those who arrived earlier are living in detention centres across Australia or have been allowed to live in the community on Bridging Visas.
There are more than 30,000 asylum seekers living in Australia – mostly single men – waiting for a decision regarding their application for refugee status. Certain visa conditions can place these people at greater risk of homelessness and susceptible to unscrupulous landlords, overcrowded and sub-standard housing.SSI’s anecdotal observations of providing humanitarian settlement services backs up research showing that housing stability is crucial to the health, well-being and long-term prospects of refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia.
There is no doubt that refugees and people seeking asylum are in the same predicament as other vulnerable people in the community who are on low incomes and paying more than 30 per cent of their household income in rent. In some cases refugees are paying 50 per cent and more to secure accommodation.
According to research from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, a concerted policy response is required to put an end to the “housing stress” and the increase of affordable housing supply for all Australians is the long-term housing solution to ensure people don’t pay more than 30 per cent of their household incomes on rent.
Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot Survey for 2016 highlighted that zero per cent of properties on offer in Sydney for the week the survey was conducted were found to be affordable for people on Newstart, youth allowance of disability support. Less than half a percent of properties were found to be affordable for people on other types of government income support, such as family tax benefit, and only six percent of properties were affordable for households earning a minimum wage.
Of interest, however, is that these extra challenges and barriers are somewhat mitigated by the support available to recently arrived refugees through SSI case managers, housing officers and other support provided through the holistic approach of SSI to support the vulnerable communities it works with.
There is also an overwhelming sense of resilience expressed by many new community members and a strong motivation to persevere and achieve what they aspire to in their new home country.
By the time this story is published, Laith Alfatlawi will have been in Sydney just 12 months and he says it will be like celebrating his first birthday.
“I feel like I was born again when I arrived here, and like a baby I am learning everything again, he sai. “Things here in Australia are totally different – it is like night and day with Iraq, and without the help of SSI it would have been almost impossible to work out the systems here.”
Mr Alfatlawi is happily settled in Merrylands. His choice of housing was based on being near Westmead Hospital, where he often visits to meet his daughter’s ongoing health needs.
“Without a car we need to be close to transport and to shops, so we are happy here for now until my daughter recovers,” Mr Alfatlawi said.
The HSS program offers support to refugees for the first six to 12 months in Australia, until they are able to live independently. Mr Alfatlawi has now exited SSI’s service and he admits it is a little harder without the personal help but luckily his competent English skills help him get through tenancy and other issues.
“I can get support from the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) but I try by myself now,” he said.
Through the network of SSI member MRCs, new arrivals can continue to get support if needed from organisation that provide the Settlement Grants Program (SGP), which continues the work of helping people to become self-reliant and participate in Australian society as soon as possible after their arrival.
Ninety per cent of refugees SSI supports find homes in the private rental market within three months of arrival. Wherever possible, SSI negotiates a 12 month lease to ensure some stability for its clients on exit from the HSS program.
Those who qualify may be granted immediate social housing, otherwise they will join waiting lists just like others in the community. Less than three per cent of new arrivals supported by SSI receive Social Housing within the first 12 months after arrival. A small number of clients who meet the criteria have successfully secured Affordable Housing tenancies through registered Community Housing Providers. Even if on the waiting list, SSI housing officers encourage and assist to secure acceptable rental accommodation in the interim, before they are exited from HSS.
Senan Zughbi arrived from Iraq three months ago and thanks God for his fortune. On arrival Senan and his family were placed in short-term accommodation in Smithfield. They settled well and decided to continue living in Smithfield.
“We have a house that is close to TAFE for my daughter and close to shopping and to Fairfield-we are very happy,” Mr Zughbi said.
The experiences of Mr Zughbi and Mr Alfatlawi are by no means unique. Despite their vulnerability to housing insecurity and homelessness, and the complexity of the refugee experience, AHURI research found that “refugee’s experience, in the main, positive housing journeys”.
As for anyone in the community, SSI understands that a stable home plays an important role in their health and well-being.
Over the past 12 months SSI Housing has explored and initiated a range of effective housing strategies based on the experience it has gained and the close working relationships it has developed with real estate agencies and the housing. This background has placed SSI in a position that it can expand its housing initiatives to help anyone in the community who is experiencing homeless or is at risk of homelessness, not only people of refugee background or seeking asylum.
SSI Housing is helping to address the dearth of crisis accommodation in Sydney through its Emergency Housing Assistance initiative and, as a registered Community Housing provider, it is expanding the availability of affordable housing options for the broader community by providing property management services to landlords who are choosing, for altruistic reasons or otherwise, to lease their property through SSI.
Even though new arrival numbers are increasing – more than half of arrivals for the financial year 2015-2016 arrived in a period of just three months – SSI is still able to source housing at the same rates as before and continues to achieve the best outcomes it can for the people it supports.
Written for March 2017 edition of Around the House, the newsletter of Shelter NSW.
There are, however, significant and unique challenges faced by many throughout their settlement experience.
“Cultural Shift: From Settlement to Belonging” is a cross-sector conference that will explore and discuss innovation, best practice and challenges in creating optimal settlement conditions and fostering a sense of belonging that is so vital to the wellbeing of migrants and refugees as they adjust to life in Australia.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said that this exciting event — which builds on the highly successful Cultural Shift Symposium in 2014 — is a conversation that needed to be ongoing.
“Since the last conference in 2014 there have been more than 100,000 people who have come to live NSW, including the extra cohort of refugee arrivals from Syria and Iraq,” Ms Roumeliotis said.
“SSI is proud to host Cultural Shift 2017 and to bring together leaders, experts, decision makers, community members and professionals from diverse sectors and backgrounds to make sure the settlement sector continues to evolve, adapt and fulfil its duty to help ensure successful settlement.”
Cultural Shift: From Settlement to Belonging will be held August 10-11, 2017, at the Novotel, Sydney Olympic Park.
The conference website is live and a call for abstracts is now open if you’d like to make a short presentation during the concurrent breakout sessions.
Please visit the website to register your interest in the conference or to submit an abstract.
The centre officially opened last year and SSI has already made use of the facilities for activities including orientation for refugee youth and the official launch of Refugee Week.
Refugees supported by SSI’s Humanitarian Support Services program visited the centre on Monday to enjoy morning tea with locals, church groups and members of the Inner West Council.
For some of the refugees, this was their first visit to the centre, which the Inner West Council established as a welcome hub providing services and activities for newly arrived refugees.
Young members of the local Indigenous community performed a traditional dance, and elders offered a formal welcome to their land before conducting a smoking ceremony. The ceremony is an ancient custom where smoke from native plants is used to cleanse participants and ward off bad spirits.
The group then explored the centre and its spectacular setting within the heritage listed Callan Park site, which is a former hospital that sits along the foreshore of Sydney’s picturesque Iron Cove.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the event marked a formalising of the partnership between the Inner West Council, and SSI and the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, both of which would make use of the Refugee Welcome Centre’s facilities.
“It is encouraging to see how enthusiastically the inner west community has embraced the idea of hosting a welcome hub for some of our newest and most vulnerable community members,” she said.
“The Council has done a magnificent job of renovating these premises to create a warm and inviting space for activities that will complement the work SSI does to help refugees successfully settle in Australia.
“Monday’s event helped newly arrived refugees to familiarise themselves with the Refugee Welcome Centre. Plans are already under way for more SSI clients to make use of these facilities, including during a school holiday activity for young refugees in April.”
Originally from Ethiopia, Mr Tadesse was forced to leave his home country in 2011 and, for the next four years, he lived as a refugee in Egypt, where he met and married his wife, Weynshet.
According to Mr Tadesse, one of the challenges of living in Egypt as a refugee was a lack of access to education – an absence he has quickly made up for since he and his family came to Australia in December 2015.
“The opportunity to gain education and make yourself better through education is really, really great in Australia,” he said. “Whatever potential you have and whatever else you’re trying to achieve, there are a lot of ways that you can have a better life here.”
On arrival in Australia, Mr Tadesse and his family were supported by SSI’s Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) program, which provides initial settlement support to families and individuals who have been granted a permanent visa under Australia’s humanitarian program.
SSI’s HSS program enhances self-reliance with a focus on English language skills, education and job readiness. For Mr Tadesse, this support meant he was soon enrolled in a course that set him up to find a job within six months of coming to Australia.
“I have a family,” he said. “I can’t be dependent on Centrelink so I had to have a job as soon as possible. I chose to do a course in forklift driving because there are a lot of jobs.”
Five days after finishing the course, Mr. Tadesse had secured casual work as a forklift driver and warehouse assistant. Within a month, he was offered permanent employment. Within three, he was a warehouse supervisor.
Mr. Tadesse has gone on to acquire additional certificates in warehousing and forklift management, adding to a robust educational CV that already included a bachelor’s degree in economics from a university in Ethiopia, along with college-level qualifications in physics and mathematics.
“My current job isn’t my profession. I started driving a forklift in Australia – for the first time – but now I am an expert on forklifts,” he said.
“When we were in Egypt, I was a cleaner, I was a housekeeper. Here, I’m now a supervisor. You have to accept the system in that place you are in.
“My degree helps me to live my life and look after myself and my family in a better way. If I didn’t have that education or that opportunity, I may not have the chance to be who I am now.”
And Mr Tadesse’s educational ambition is far from satiated. Next month, he will sit a language exam with the aim of gaining entry to an engineering degree at university.
“If I get a chance to be an engineer, like a construction engineer, I will have a better life in future,” he said.
Humanitarian Settlement Services
Magician Hamid Ariento and his assistant at Claire Aarabella Parliament House.
The final evaluation report of Ignite by UTS Business School Professor Jock Collins – From Refugee to Entrepreneur in Three Years – was launched by Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science the Hon Craig Laundy MP on Thursday, March 23.
The night before, at the Australian Migration Settlement Awards, SSI won the Settlement Innovation category, with Ignite being a significant component of the nomination.
Ignite facilitates business creation for people from refugee backgrounds who are keen to establish a small business or expand an existing one.
The study found that 68% of refugee graduates of Ignite Small Business Start-ups had moved off Centrelink payments, with some also paying company tax and generating jobs for others.
Ignite evaluation report key findings
- In-depth interviews with 35 of the refugee entrepreneurs identified savings of $880,000 a year in Centrelink benefits – or a potential $4.4 million over five years – among this group alone.
- More than 60 new refugee enterprises emerged from the program, generating company tax revenue for the government.
- At the time of the study, 20 staff had been taken on by the program’s entrepreneurs.
- The entrepreneurs were also contributing to innovation in Australia.
Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Craig Laundy MP, SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis and SSI General Manager Peter Zographakis.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said it was not because of a lack of passion, a business idea or commitment and ability that other Ignite clients had not set up a business.
“Rather, the constraint was the time of the enterprise facilitators. With more resources for the program to hire additional enterprise facilitators the success rate would have been much higher,” she said.
Although the launch was about the success that the Ignite model has proven to be, Ms Roumeliotis said it was also about celebrating the determination and passion of a special group of people who began a new life in this country, and today call themselves entrepreneurs.
“The Ignite initiative has always been close to my heart because it demonstrates what many of us in the settlement sector know first-hand – that humanitarian refugees bring a wealth of skill and experience in entrepreneurship to Australia, and that with support they can contribute their know-how and skills, paying dividends to the economy.”
Overall, of the 240 SSI refugee clients accepted into the Ignite program, 25 per cent were now running their own enterprise, the study found – an admirable success rate considering the substantial barriers refugees faced, Professor Collins said.
“At first glance refugees are the most unlikely entrepreneurs. They lack capital to start up a business, they have no credit history, no assets or security. In many instances their educational qualifications are not recognised and they have no social networks,” he said.
The event commenced with a magic and illusion performance by Hamid Ariento, one of Ignites most recent entrepreneurs.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis speaking about Ignite at Parliament House.
Mr Ariento came to Australia in 2013, seeking refuge rom Iran, and was supported by SSI on arrival.
At 15 years of age, Mr Ariento was allowed to start learning how to do magic tricks as long as he kept up with his studies.
Within two years he was a professional, doing shows for television and performing in Iran, Malaysia, Singapore and for the Queen of Belgium.
“What I like the most about being a magician is the expression of surprise in the faces of the people attending my shows when a trick impresses them,” He said.
Ignite has assisted Mr Ariento with a business and marketing plan, logo design, business cards and exposure for more shows.
“Magic is like an international language, an international art – basic magic tricks are the same here and in Iran,” Mr Ariento said.
Magician’s assistant Claire Aarabella, SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis, Ariento the Magician, and Innes Willox, CEO of the Australian Industry Group.
Most of the participants that took part in the evaluation came from Iran (87), Iraq (34) and Syria (23), though refugees from 30 countries and 27 different first languages have been supported by Ignite.
Professor Collins said there was international interest in the Ignite program, given the unprecedented movement of refugees in the past few years.
“New innovative solutions to the challenges of refugee economic engagement and settlement need to be made,” he said. “The Ignite start-ups initiative is evidence-based policy innovation that can be applied across Australia and refugee resettlement nations across the world.”
Given the success of Ignite, Ms Roumeliotis announced at the launch that SSI will be tailoring the model to address barriers and meet the specific needs of entrepreneurs with disability through the new IgniteAbility Small Business Start-ups initiative.
“Through a new program called Ignite Ability, Ignite facilitators will provide an ecosystem of support for aspiring entrepreneurs with disability, their families and their carers,” Ms Roumeliotis said.
Browse Ignite Business Directory
SSI staff, clients and friends elebrateda Harmony Day and Nowruz
SSI’s combined celebration highlighted the value and respect for all cultures that enrich the Australian community and make it one of the most diverse countries in the world. This positive conception of diversity is a core part of SSI’s values and was also reflected in this year’s Harmony Day theme – ‘Everyone Belongs’.
Nowruz, also known as the Iranian New Year, is a festivity observed by 14 ethno-religious groups living in the areas of Iran, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan, among several others. It traditionally marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and it symbolises the new beginnings that come with the New Year.
“I remember how exciting Nowruz was for us as kids in Iran,” SSI Case Manager, Intake, Shoreh Lawless said.
“Everything started a few weeks before with cleaning, scrubbing and washing every corner of the house. We would even buy new clothes and underwear, everything had to be new to symbolise a true fresh start to the year.”
But the renewal didn’t’ only affect the superficial aspects of life. Nowruz also involved getting past all the hatred and troubles you had the previous year and leave them in the past, Ms Lawless said.
Chair of SSI’s Board Elisabeth Shaw said it was fortuitous that this celebration of new beginnings coincided with the same day that Australians gather to show their commitment to a country where everyone belongs.
“Today’s celebration epitomises the true spirit of Harmony Day, which coincides with SSI’s vision and goals of achieving a society where diversity is valued and respected”, she said.
“We’re aware that many of the people here today have escaped dangerous situations and came to our shores seeking safety. I’d like them to know that they belong here now and this is their new beginning like the Nowruz we are celebrating today.”
Besides a strong Persian component that included music performances, dancing and food, the dual Nowruz/Harmony Day celebration also highlighted many other cultures that make up the SSI community.
The event opened up with an engaging Welcome to Country ceremony by Darug woman Jacinta Tobin, who spoke about the main issues currently affecting the Aboriginal community and taught attendees the meaning of some popular Aboriginal names of places in Sydney, such as Coogee or Parramatta.
The celebration also featured talented Iranian dancer Azadeh, who invited everyone to join her on stage and follow the rhythm despite the sudden scorching afternoon. Other music performances followed until volunteers called for lunch to be served and everyone rushed to enjoy a delicious traditional Persian meal.
Adam Bujairami, who won ‘Case Worker of Year’
and SSI Manager Business & Community Development Joseph Ferrer.
In front of an audience of 400 people, SSI case manager Adam Bujairami accepted the Case Worker of the Year award, which acknowledges the outstanding work of an individual who performs beyond expectations in the settlement of newly arrived refugees or migrants.
Mr Bujairami arrived in Australia in 2011 as a refugee and has been employed at SSI since 2012, where he is a key part of the team that oversees refugees upon their immediate arrival to Australia.
Up to five times a day, Mr Bujairami and his team of case managers head to the airport to meet new arrivals, who they support during their first few months in Australia, providing them with essential case management, and access to Medicare, schools and English classes. This early support is critical in helping new arrivals to feel at home in Australia and take the first steps towards independence.
Later in the evening SSI’s leadership and excellence in its employment services were acknowledged with the Settlement Innovation award in recognition of the innovative approach used in supporting refugees, migrants and members of the community in finding employment.
SSI Employment and Enterprises provides employment support to newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers living in the community. It also offers the possibility to undertake work experience in one of its social enterprises, where job seekers can learn new skills in a retail environment.
Further, SSI has developed the Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative, which helps entrepreneurs of refugee and asylum seeker background to set up their own small businesses or expand an existing one.
The nomination also included SSI’s partnership with Allianz, which has so far placed seven cadets in full-time employment with the insurance company, and has committed to offering permanent career placements for up to 20 cadets who came to Australia as refugees.
“This award is testament to the initiatives that SSI has put in place to support migrants and refugees, who we know, have the resilience and passion to fulfil their hopes and dreams for their new lives here in Australia,” SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said.
The Friendly Nation Initiative (FNI) is a business-led strategy that seeks to increase employment, mentoring, training and internship opportunities for refugees and humanitarian migrants. It builds partnerships between corporate Australia and leaders in the settlement space like SSI, with the aim of linking business needs with refugee skills.
Finding employment helps refugees to become economically independent, forge links in the broader community and, ultimately, feel at home in Australia – something close to the heart of Harmony Day, an annual celebration designed to foster a sense of belonging for all.
At the event on Tuesday, attendees enjoyed the African beats and dancing of Karifi Ensemble, along with a diverse spread of canapés from SSI Catering – a social enterprise that gives job seekers work experience in a commercial kitchen environment.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said in addition to supporting refugees through its own employment initiatives, SSI was also working with employers as part of FNI to help new arrivals find stable and meaningful employment.
“Research and SSI’s anecdotal experience tells us that although the motivation to work is high among refugees who settle in Australia, this does not necessarily lead to employment. They face unique barriers to finding employment, including a lack of local work experience and difficulty getting prior qualifications recognised,” she said.
“There is huge untapped potential within the refugee community, which is why it is so wonderful to see businesses in NSW taking a leading role in creating employment opportunities for some of the newest members of our society. This has the potential to change so many lives for the better.”
Ms Roumeliotis said hiring refugees also had benefits for employers as it added to the diversity of their workplaces.
“Diversity helps us to value new perspectives; to celebrate our differences and share what we have in common,” she said.
“At SSI, diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We employ more than 150 bilingual and bicultural workers who speak 83 languages between them. That diversity helps us to work more collaboratively, it leads to more innovative outcomes and solutions, and makes us stronger as an organisation.”
Ms Roumeliotis said she hoped more employers would take the lead from those businesses involved with FNI and open up employment opportunities for some of Australia’s newest community members.