SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said: “As a leading humanitarian settlement provider, we know from countless individual stories of migration and displacement since post WWII, including many victims of terrorism, these new members of the Australian community would strongly agree that the Australian Government should place the highest priority on security and safety. 

“We understand that the people we work with value a free, diverse and harmonious society and embrace the opportunities offered to them to make a fresh start here. The higher than average entrepreneurial spirit of our refugee population is well documented.

“At a time when there are continuing calls for radical change in our immigration and multicultural policies, we welcome the confirmation that the Australian Government is committed to harnessing the advantages of our cultural diversity as an asset which sparks innovation and creativity and which contributes to the economic and social prosperity of all Australians.

“We’re also pleased to note the statement acknowledges that the Australian settlement framework is widely considered best practice, an approach that is the envy of many comparable countries.”

SSI has sponsored Ms Dhillon’s attendance at the 61st session of the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61) at UN headquarters in New York, from March 13 to 24, where she will participate in events, develop her leadership skills, and represent both young women of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds and the youth of Australia.

Ms Dhillon will join two other young women who are a part of the New Year for Women roundtable and also representing the NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS) and the National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) at the UN event, which brings together an international network of women’s organisations to focus on women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work.

Ms Dhillon, who has been volunteering since age 12, said her interest in social justice developed after witnessing poverty during a family trip to India at age 10.

“Ever since then I became passionate about the world around me,” she said. “While other girls were playing sports, I’d watch documentaries on racial discrimination, human trafficking and child marriages, as well as volunteering wherever I could.

“It was at the age of 16 when I could truly make a difference by becoming a Girl Guides NSW and ACT representative, which led to my involvement with NCOSS, where I joined its panel of women who come from all over the state representing different kinds of organisations.

“It’s still surreal that CSW61 is happening for me, but I’m looking forward to learning about female empowerment and hearing from the other participants. Although we come from a variety of different places and experiences, we share a similar passion for both gender and intergenerational equity.”

In addition to her work with NCOSS, Ms Dhillon is an ambassador for Girl Guides Australia and is currently completing her HSC. Next year, she plans to attend university to extend her knowledge so she can continue with her work in areas including domestic abuse, sexual assault and the economic empowerment of women and girls, particularly those from developing countries or male-dominated cultures.

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said supporting young women like Ms Dhillon to participate in events like CSW61 was in keeping with the vision of SSI’s Youth Collective initiative, which aims to empower multicultural youth to take on leadership roles and become a voice for other young people.

“Today’s young women are tomorrow’s leaders, which is why it’s critical for organisations like NCOSS and SSI to give them opportunities to foster their abilities and make contacts that will assist them in their future careers,” she said.

“The participation of young women also ensures that their perspectives shape the outcomes of events like CSW61. Through their participation, Ms Dhillon and her fellow NCOSS representatives are giving other young women a voice.”

SSI works with a number of CALD communities, including newly arrived migrants and refugees, and has a particular focus on supporting youth and women. It does this through initiatives including Youth Collective, Youth@Work and its Women at Risk Committee, which supports the wellbeing of refugee women in particularly vulnerable situations.

Iman and her family (left) were among more than 200 people who attended the event.

Auburn locals, community groups, individuals and families who are new to Australia gathered on March 8 to enjoy performances, gardening workshops and art demonstrations, along with craft, henna designs and a pampering corner with nail art, hair styling and make-up.

One attendee, Iman, displayed artworks that she developed in the five years she has lived in Australia.

“I used to just paint animals, now I just paint women. In my country, women are oppressed, so now I paint women enjoying freedom,” Iman said. “Freedom is dancing. Freedom is wearing what you want.”

Held at the Auburn Centre for Community, the event activities were suitable for people of all ages and genders, with the aim of encouraging attendance from both men and women.

SSI Community Engagement Manager Trina Soulos said gender equality was an issue affecting the whole community, so it was important for all community members to be involved in celebrating International Women’s Day.

“Gender equality is not just an issue for women. Including fathers, husbands and sons in community celebrations like this is just one of the ways we can fight stereotypes and create more positive change for women,” she said.

“We wanted to capture the inclusive spirit of International Women’s Day and create a space where everyone was welcome to celebrate unity, gender equality, resilience and hope.”

More than 200 people attended the event, where lunch was prepared by sisters Sharon and Carol Salloum and supported by SSI staff and volunteers. The culinary duo run Sydney restaurant Almond Bar and have been regular contributors at SSI events for refugees and people seeking asylum.

SSI’s Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative also put forward Yarrie Bangura to share her experience as a female entrepreneur running her own business, Aunty’s Ginger Tonic.

The event was a great example of community coming together, with contributions from Cumberland Council, the House of Welcome and the Women’s Creative Hub, Community Migrant Resource Centre, Auburn Diversity Services Inc, Olivetree Women’s Network, Australian Asian Cultural Association, Playgroup NSW, Reverse Garbage, Cumberland Women’s Health Centre and Parramatta Holroyd Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Committee.

SSI Board member Elfa Moraitakis, centre, is Blacktown City women of the Year 2017. Photo source: Blacktown Sun.

She has over 25 years of experience in community services and an extensive background in developing services for linguistically disadvantaged communities.

The announcement was made during Blacktown City Council’s 12th International Women’s Day event and recognised the outstanding achievement of women within the local community.

Nominees for Woman of the Year were required to reflect the principles of International Women’s Day which:

• celebrate the achievements of local women in paid or unpaid work
• support women’s work in promoting equality, justice, peace and social development across the community
• support the full participation of women in political, economic and social life
• promote and encourage diversity
• promote gender equality and the empowerment of women

Mayor Stephen Bali said Ms Moraitakis, selected from six finalists, embodied the IWD motto of “be bold for change”.

Ms Moraitakis’ message as she accepted the award was: “Believe in yourself – empowered women lead the world.”

As the leader of one of western Sydney’s largest community organisations, she said she considered it her responsibility to identify gaps in the community.

“The two major areas affecting women are domestic violence and employment, and we are working with council and the police to address those issues.

“Before we can talk about better pay and equality, we need to work on educating and empowering women.

“We need to do it together with men; we can’t do it alone.”

“I feel honoured to win such an award among so many successful, talented women in the community,” she said.

Ms Moraitakis said her aim was to continue her community work tirelessly to ensure that vulnerable and disadvantaged members of Western Sydney had a voice.

“A huge thank you to my colleagues at SydWest and to all those that supported me throughout the years. Thank you to Blacktown City Council for organising such an important event.”

My memories of her and my aunts are of astute women who ran their own businesses, learned to drive and were actively engaged in the community. They were also the primary carers for their children and looked after the bulk of chores around the house.

That’s not to say the men in my family weren’t also busy and working hard. But what was different with the women was the additional family and community responsibilities they took on and the extra pressures they faced; the expectations placed on them because of their gender.

Looking back today, I can see the huge strides we’ve made towards gender equality. And yet we’re still seeing widespread challenges to the fundamental principles of equality. Things such as a woman’s right to her body – the right to make decisions about contraception and abortion or her right to wear what she chooses.

In supposedly advanced countries in the west, we’re seeing these rights challenged and undermined. Young women are being shouted down because they have an opinion and choose to express it.

When we hear about these things happening around the world, it must act as a reminder for every one of us to be vigilant about the preservation of equality.

Today, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, we need to remind ourselves of everything that has been achieved in the fight for women’s rights and gender equality. Only by remembering the work of suffragettes like Emmeline Pankhurst and feminist activists like Gloria Steinem can we hope to preserve their legacy and build on it.

And I do feel positive about this. I feel very optimistic for my daughter and the young women in my life. The challenge for them is to find a way to stand up for what they believe; to chase their aspirations, in career and life. And like my mother and aunts, they too must learn to be bold and courageous even when the world tells them not to be.

On International Women’s Day, I hope you take the time to reflect on the theme – Be Bold for Change – and to celebrate all the wonderful women you know. Together, we can preserve and build on the progress we’ve already made towards a more inclusive and gender equal world.

Violet Roumeliotis
SSI CEO

Most of the claims relate to the Fairfield LGA, one of eight areas where SSI delivers the Humanitarian Settlement Program in the Sydney metropolitan area. The HSS is funded by the Federal Government.

SSI is keen to clarify several key points being repeated in the media, often without substantiation or citing of sources. In some cases where sources are offered, correct data has been used to extrapolate incorrect conclusions.

This is an attempt to sort fact from fiction.

Syrian refugee arrivals claim 1:

More than 6,000 refugees from the Federal Government’s special Syrian humanitarian intake have been settled in Fairfield.

Facts:

• As at February 3, 2017, 9,382 refugees of the 12,000 have arrived Australia-wide. (Department of Social Services website)
• NSW expects to take a total of 6,000 people; just over 5,000 have arrived to date (precise numbers are not publicly available). The figure for the entire state is substantially less than the 6,000 claimed in a number of recent media stories in relation to the Fairfield LGA
• During 2016, a total of about 4,700 refugees arrived in Fairfield (a mix of special and regular intake – DSS website’s Settlement Reporting Facility). Arriving in Fairfield does not equate to living in Fairfield on an ongoing basis, an important distinction
• In January 2017, SSI was supporting a total 3,700 clients in Fairfield (a mix of special and regular intake).

Syrian refugee arrivals claim 2

The Fairfield property market has become unaffordable, with demand outpacing supply. The median rent for a unit is about $500 a week.

Facts:

• Median rent for a two bedroom unit in Fairfield LGA is $330 p.w. and $360 p.w. for a house according to NSW Rent & Sales Report September Quarter 2016 (latest Issue 117), well under the $500 cited in media stories
• Median rent for two bedroom unit in Fairfield suburb is $350 p.w. based on aggregated data from property listings on RealEstate.com.au
• The majority of arrivals are families of three to four people who prefer to rent two bedroom properties
• SSI sources properties in the Fairfield LGA on a regular basis – our experience is that property availability is no different to the rest of the Sydney market which remains tight. However, we continue to find properties for clients wishing to live in this area
• Of the top 10 Sydney settlement LGAs for refugees, Fairfield LGA remains the cheapest place to rent
• If we compare the top 10 Sydney settlement locations or suburbs for refugees, Fairfield remains the second cheapest suburb to rent (Mt Druitt is the cheapest).

Syrian refugee arrivals claim 3

Fairfield is struggling to settle refugees after a huge influx of new arrivals

Facts:

• In the three months from November 2016 to January 2017, there were 737 arrivals in Fairfield. Fairfield LGA has a population of almost 200,000
• Funding of $146 million over four years was set aside by the NSW State Government in last year’s Budget to help Syrian and Iraqi refugees start a new life in NSW
• Services that received extra funding include: specialist health care and access to education and pathways to work. Other critical areas that received funding include specialist torture and trauma services, employment and community integration programs
• In relation to extra Federal funding, SSI recently received additional Settlement Services Program funding from DSS to provide support for additional clients resulting from the increased intake of refugees
• Allocations to NSW Settlement Partnership partners in Fairfield and Liverpool will fund additional services for the larger number of refugees settling in these areas.

About SSI

SSI is a community-based, not-for-profit humanitarian organisation providing a range of services in the areas of humanitarian settlement, housing, asylum seeker assistance, multicultural foster care, disability support and employment services in NSW.

Media enquiries

SSI Corporate Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828

SSI Communications Assistant, Hannah Gartrell, 0488 680 287

Shoppers at the first The Staples Bag pop-up store at SydWest Multicultural Services.

Tables were covered with boxes of breakfast cereal, soap, pasta, bread, biscuits, boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables, and much more for people to choose from.

Manager of SSI Employment Terry Wilson was amazed at the number of people who showed up for the launch of The Staples Bag pop-up and said that it confirmed the need in the community for such a service.

“SSI established The Staples Bag social enterprise over a year ago to address the growing issue of food insecurity in the community, and the growth in popularity and demand for the service has been incredible,” Mr Wilson said.

The Staples Bag has multiple benefits for the community. Grocery and household items are sold at often 70% less than the retail value through a store in Campsie and several regular pop-up stalls in social housing estates and retirement villages. This is great news for people struggling to afford food, which according to Foodbank’s 2016 Hunger Report is one in six Australians, with over 644,000 people receiving food relief each month.

The other benefit is that The Staples Bag store, pop-ups and warehouse are staffed by job seekers who are getting invaluable hands-on work experience.

“By working with us, job seekers get experience in things such as marketing, retail, warehousing and customer service. These are tangible skills that boost any resume,” Mr Wilson said.

“We are always looking for opportunities to access more people in the community and are really pleased to be partnering with SydWest Multicultural Services, who have hosted today’s pop-up.”

SydWest Multicultural Services CEO, Elfa Moraitakis was thrilled at the response to the initiative.

“Organisations like SydWest have a responsibility to enhance the quality of life of their local communities,” Ms Moraitakis said.

“This is why it is important to connect the community with initiatives like The Staples Bag, and SydWest will now host The Staples Bag pop-up once a fortnight.”

Ms Moraitakis said that the employment component of The Staples Bag also aligned with their Job Club and that The Staples Bag was one of their most important partners.

Earlier in the day, Mr Wilson presented employment information to a group of about 50 job seekers from the local community, keen to learn how to find a job or local work experience opportunities.

Visit our website for more information about The Staples Bag and other SSI social enterprises, and check the Facebook page to find out about store and pop-up locations.

The Staples Bag

SSI acting CEO Peter Zographakis.

Over the last few weeks, international politics have hit the headlines with an unpleasant reminder of how important it is to continue working towards a more understanding world where populist measures based on hate and discrimination have no place.

We learned of the travel ban imposed by the US, which halted all refugee admissions and temporarily banned citizens from countries of Muslim majority like Iran, Iraq or Syria from entering the country.

Measures like this can be truly discouraging in a moment in history when support for refugees is needed more than ever as thousands of innocent people fleeing conflict and persecution need a safe place to call home.

At SSI we have been working with people of refugee and asylum seeker background for over 15 years and know very well that successful settlement starts with being welcomed and supported in the right way.

Of course, one of the key elements for a successful settlement is finding employment to lead an independent and fulfilling life. And sometimes this happens earlier than one might think. I’m thinking of people like Rahaf Alrifai , a recently-arrived Syrian mother of three who just five months after landing in Australia with her family on a humanitarian visa, started working as a data entry assistant at SSI Employment.

SSI Employment is a fast-growing program within our organisation that makes possible outcomes like Ms Alrifai’s and many others, through high-quality and innovative employment services for job seekers from any background. This achievement has been independently endorsed with SSI/CoAct’s JobActive recently recognised for the third trimester in a row with a five-star rating by the Department of Employment. Star ratings are used to assess a provider’s efficiency and effectiveness in placing job seekers into sustainable work.

Congratulations to the Employment team!

One of SSI’s Employment initiatives that has proved to be more successful and innovative are its social enterprises, which includes The Staples Bag, Humble Creatives and a hospitality program where participants can obtain first-hand experience in a professional kitchen. Each enterprise represents a different sector and requires a distinct set of skills, offering job seekers various options to gain work experience and improve their prospects of finding a job. So far, 300 people who have undertaken work experience with one of the SSI social enterprises have secured a job.

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of supporters and customers going to The Staples Bag Campsie store lately after being featured in the media for the great work it does in the community. If you haven’t come across them yet, don’t miss the stories aired on SBS World News, SBS Radio and SBS Radio Arabic.

Humble Creatives also made a splash on social media this month thanks to its new promotional video, which you can watch below.

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The employment services for SSI clients or anyone in the community looking for a job don’t finish here. We are proud to announce that SSI Employment has recently started a new program, EmployAbility, which offers people with disability interested in obtaining relevant work experience the opportunity to access the job market. To prepare for EmployAbility, this month SSI Employment staff members have received disability awareness training by the Jeder Institute. EmployAbility also counts with the support of Ability Links NSW (ALNSW), which SSI has been delivering since 2014 with great results. Together, ALNSW and EmployAbility have already assisted 10 candidates to either find volunteering work, education or gain paid employment in January.

We’ve got more good news to deliver this month on the employment front. I’m thrilled to be able to share with you that we will soon start delivering another employment program to assist newly-arrived refugees who have professional or trade skills, or qualifications, once they can demonstrate English proficiency. Settlement Services Career Pathways will support participants to develop and pursue a career pathway plan to guide them in finding and securing meaningful employment opportunities that suit their pre-arrival work history, qualifications and skills. We’ll share more details about this program on the SSI News blog soon.

Meanwhile, I’m also pleased to report that the third cohort of SSI clients will be joining Allianz Australia as cadets in the next few weeks. This unique partnership between Allianz and SSI so far has seven cadets employed full-time with the insurance company, which has committed to offering permanent career placements for up to 20 cadets who came to Australia as refugees.

All the above shows that at SSI we believe employment is a fundamental step for any member of the community towards a life of independence and choice and this is why we are working hard to expand the diversity of employment programs and initiatives to cater for a range of people.

This is reflected in this month’s newsletter, where you’ll meet Virginia, a single mother who is now getting ready to get back to work through the ParentsNext program, as well as Sandy and Jorge from the Ignite Resource Team, which helps people of refugee background set up their own business. I hope you enjoy these good news stories.

A collection of photos from the Sweet Auburn Tweets book launch.

The launch of the book, Sweet Auburn Tweets, was celebrated in December, when participating families — from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nepal and South Sudan — each received a copy.

The partnership began in 2015 when the Family Creative Hub worked with families from the ADSi multicultural playgroup and developed art and craft workshops focused on traditional nursery rhymes. That led to a small collection of lullabies called Auburn Twinkles, produced by Eddie Abd.

Following the success of Auburn Twinkles, it was decided to run the project again in 2016 with a new group of families. Workshops were held at ADSi in August and September.

The team was composed of visual artist Marian Abboud, storyteller and facilitator Nisha Shrestha, acting Producer for Family Creative Hub Yamane Fayed, and playgroup staff.

The sessions’ format was similar to a playgroup but explored the theme of migration through reference to migrating birds and the symbolic meaning of birds from the participants’ cultural backgrounds.

The children and their parents or carers (mostly mothers and grandmothers) created the artworks with Ms Shrestha and used traditional designs to decorate the crafts. Then Ms Abboud conducted Photoshop workshops so the group could digitally incorporate their designs into photographs.

With the help of a designer (Ms Abd) they added the variety of languages spoken by the participants and produced Sweet Auburn Tweets, a beautiful collection of art, poems and songs inspired by the families’ own experiences, interests, stories and traditions.

Ms Fayed said, “It was enriching for all of us, participants as well as facilitators, as we learned about each other’s cultural background. We found differences but also so many similarities.

“We worked with the mothers and grandmothers on traditional songs that referenced birds in their own languages and we found out that some words in some languages like Urdu and Arabic, or Hindi and Nepalese, were very similar.

“Of course, we know languages are connected and have evolved from different main language roots but it was fascinating for the families to realise that we are so much alike, whether we lived originally in the Middle East or in the Indian subcontinent.

“The families shared very precious memories of their lives back in their homeland and we cherished that wealth of knowledge.”

She said it was possible to see in the book how happy everyone was to share their songs.

“The whole process was very interesting — funny at times and a bit more emotional when people were reminiscing on bittersweet memories,” she said.

ICE is a western Sydney community arts organisation working in the areas of cultural development, screen culture and digital technology.

The ICE Family Creative Hub is a free creative program for newly arrived refugee and migrant families with preschool children living in and around Parramatta. It is part of the National Community Hubs Program funded by the Scanlon Foundation with funding from the Department of Social Services received through Community Hubs Australia and managed by Settlement Services International.

SSI Community Hubs

Omukulthom had only just arrived in Sydney with her husband and three-year-old daughter when she found out she was pregnant with her now 16-month-old son.

‘When I arrived, I didn’t know anything about Sydney, even where to go to do shopping. I had very low English and was pregnant,” she said.

Originally from Burma, the family sought asylum in Australia and had only recently been released from the Christmas Island immigration facility, so they didn’t have any of the basic items that newborns require.

Omukulthom’s SSI case manager sought help from the Dandelion Support Network — a network of volunteers who accept and distribute items to mothers in need.

“I received everything I needed for a newborn baby, including a pram, nappies, formula and a cot,” she said. “My heart was so happy. I was in need and I didn’t have money to buy those things.”

Omukulthom is one of the many refugees and people seeking asylum who have benefited from more than 250 donations the Dandelion Support Network has made to SSI clients over the past three years. These items have included nursery essentials, clothes, toys and linen for babies and children, all of which are sorted and safety checked by a team of volunteers, who then distribute them to families in need.

Dandelion Support Network Partnerships and Sustainability Officer Sarah Mross said those donations offered new mothers more than just physical support.

“It’s a sign to someone in their time of need that the community cares about them,” she said.

“Our most critical items are cots, bassinets, prams and car seats, which are really hard for families to purchase when they’re struggling. We hear stories of women who have a 10-month-old child and they have to carry them everywhere because they can’t afford a pram.”

She said the vision of Dandelion Support Network was that all babies and children had access to nursery items that were essential for their safety, wellbeing and development.

SSI Community Engagement and Capacity Manager Trina Soulos said organisations like Dandelion Support Network supplemented the services SSI offered to people who were newly arrived to Australia.

“SSI’s humanitarian programs help new arrivals to establish themselves independently in Australia by linking them with essential services and supporting them to find housing and employment and forge links in the community,” she said.

“Refugees and people seeking asylum, however, face many unique challenges. They often arrive on our shores with little more than the clothes on their back, so it takes cooperation from many different organisations to help them find their feet.”

The Dandelion Support Network does not receive government funding so it relies on volunteers and community donations of quality used items to continue helping parents in need like Omukulthom. To find out more about how to support their work, click here.