Mr Patel’s chicken curry
Over a delicious chicken curry at the recent Indian inspired Community Kitchen lunch, Ashwin Patel shared his migration story and how he came to be a cook.
Bonds of motherhood break down barriers
The shared experience of motherhood transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries, as demonstrated by a special group of women who celebrated Mother’s Day with Settlement Services International (SSI) this month.
Ignite facilitates the growth of beauty
From the outside, Aroos Hair and Beauty looks like any other business trading on Pitt Street, outside Merrylands train station. However, inside, a determined mother and daughter are working tirelessly towards a shared dream: having their own business, and their lives, firmly set up in Australia. SSI’s Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative is supporting them on this journey.
Renowned world music orchestra to showcase refugee talent at New Beginnings
Renowned performers from one of Sydney’s leading world music groups will showcase the talents of multicultural artists and help to shift negative perceptions about multiculturalism in Australia at NSW’s leading festival celebrating refugee arts and culture.
Volunteers help refugee entrepreneurs thrive
Rosanna Barbero has just hung up from a frustrating phone call with a customer service representative for a large electrical retailer, trying to sort out an issue with a faulty device. She is exasperated.
SSI Food: Joseph’s Spanish Paella
Spanish people are known for loving parties, and when they involve food there is generally one common element in all of them: Paella.
Ignite entrepreneur features in Head On Photo Festival
SWITCH is a photography exhibition about gender and sexual identity across two diverse cultures — Australian and Iranian.
Volunteers make a difference
The generosity of everyday Australians is significantly improving the experiences of refugees and people seeking asylum living in the Australian community, according to a leader from the humanitarian settlement sector. Speaking at the start of National Volunteer Week, Settlement Services International (SSI) CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the actions of volunteers had a profound effect on the lives of people fleeing war and persecution.
Celebrating SSI’s volunteers
Volunteers come from all walks of life but one thing they have in common is a generosity of spirit that drives them to give up their time to help vulnerable individuals.
SSI CEO highlights power of partnerships
In a dynamic presentation at the Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) conference in Melbourne today, SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis highlighted the power of partnerships and the importance of trust and communication in achieving better outcomes for vulnerable communities.
SCOA Conference addresses key settlement challenges
Settlement, citizenship and policy topped the agenda at the annual Settlement Council of Australia (SCoA) conference in Melbourne today, as dozens of settlement professionals, academics and community leaders shared their views on the major issues facing settlement globally.
From the CEO – Innovative solutions for important issues
A solutions-focused approach is at the heart of all the services SSI offers. Whether it’s working with people seeking asylum, refugees, children in foster care, or people with disabilities, this is a sound approach that has proven and demonstrated positive outcomes for the individuals involved and, of course, for communities.
Sydney students lend their voices to refugees and people seeking asylum
A group of resourceful young women have taken their support for refugees and people seeking asylum to a new level, progressing from bake sales and school holiday volunteering to a large fundraising event.
Young refugees have their say during National Youth Week
Dozens of young people from refugee backgrounds tackled the major issues facing refugee youth at the inaugural Young Leaders Forum in April, with employment, education and health leading the agenda.
New arrivals experience a brush with kindness
A well-maintained garden and outdoor area goes a long way to making a house feel like a home. A partnership between SSI and Habitat for Humanity Australia (HFHA) is helping to do just that through HFHA’s Brush with Kindness program.
SSI food: Ammar’s Italian fusion fiesta
SSI’s Community Kitchen is always a cultural melting pot, and this was particularly so in April when Iraqi-born chef Ammar drew from Italian and Australian cuisine to create a fusion feast.
Meet SSI volunteer Naila Yousid
People volunteer for many reasons: altruism, corporate social responsibility, free time. For Naila Yousid, her experience resettling in Australia as a refugee prompted her to become a volunteer.
Interest blossoms into a career for carpenter seeking asylum
Participating in an inclusive community garden project has given a young man seeking asylum the skills to turn his interest in carpentry into a career.
Leading cultural performers named in New Beginnings 2016 line up
Leading artists from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds will showcase their talents at NSW’s leading festival celebrating refugee arts and culture. Confirmed artists for the expanded 2016 New Beginnings: Refugee Arts & Culture Festival will impress audiences with performances and workshops that draw inspiration from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia and more.
New Beginnings: Refugee Arts & Culture Festival ramps up in 2016
NSW’s premier festival celebrating the cultural heritage and artistic talents of people from refugee backgrounds will be bigger than ever in 2016. Following the stand out success of the inaugural New Beginnings: Refugee Arts & Culture Festival last year, the 2016 program has expanded to feature three separate events across Sydney both during and after Refugee Week.