Ability Links NSW showcased in Campsie
People bustling along ANZAC shopping mall in Campsie on a Thursday in October enjoyed an inspiring showcase offered by SSI’s Ability Links NSW (ALNSW) program, which supports people with disability, their families and carers. Ability Links coordinators, called Linkers, hosted the event as a way to speak with the Campsie community about what ALNSW can do for them.
Report reveals entrepreneurial potential of refugees
An evaluation report of SSI’s Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative has found that, with the right support, Australia’s refugees have significant entrepreneurial potential and the ability to contribute to the economy.
SSI food: Sameera’s Qorma for Diwaili
SSI case manager Sameera Purkis made a reappearance at Community Kitchen’s Diwaili celebration, on October 21, to cook a delicious chicken Qorma (or korma) curry. Diwaili is a Hindu festival but Sameera said it was also celebrated by most people, Hindu or Muslim, in her home country of Pakistan.
Belmore grandmother awarded ‘Local Carer Award’
Kyu Ja Jung is a resilient and inspiring grandmother of two who was awarded a ‘Local Carer Award’, which are presented in National carers Week to recognise the outstanding contribution unpaid carers make in the community. Mrs Jung was nominated by her local SSI Linker, Cecilia Jeongim Park, who put her name forward after finding out about the impressive job she had been carrying out for the past 15 years.
Volunteer-led English classes popular with people seeking asylum
Language is an important element of any culture, and being able to speak the local language can make the difference between participating in a new community, or isolation. With this is mind, SSI has offered regular English classes for people seeking asylum. All participants in the English classes were people who received case management support from SSI’s Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) program.
Community blossoms in Auburn garden
Community and sustainability were the focus of the inaugural Auburn Community Friendship Garden Spring Party on October 24, but face painting, rock decorating and a live petting zoo won over the dozens of children who attended. Held at the Auburn Centre for Community from 10am-2pm, the Spring Party brought together more than 200 people from the local community, including many refugees and people seeking asylum who are supported by Settlement Services International (SSI).
Report reveals strong entrepreneurial potential of refugees
A report released today found that, with the right support, Australia’s refugees have significant entrepreneurial potential and the ability to contribute to the economy. The report, which looked at the outcomes of the Ignite Small Business Start-ups initiative operated by humanitarian settlement organisation Settlement Services International (SSI), was prepared by Professor Jock Collins of UTS Business School and was launched by the Executive Director of the Sydney Business Chamber, the Hon. Patricia Forsythe.
Refugees and asylum seekers dig deep for Auburn Community Friendship Garden
The Friendship Garden in Auburn has blossomed recently thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of former refugees and people seeking asylum, who are supported by Settlement Services International (SSI). Participants have volunteered to nurture the garden with others in the community.
SSI food: Khalid’s Iraqi-style Biryani
People who attended SSI’s Community Kitchen on October 7, might be surprised to learn of the mixed heritage of the delicious biryani they enjoyed. The traditional Indian dish has a Farsi name and it was cooked on the day by a volunteer Iraqi chef. But for Khalid, the cook who arrived in Australia seeking asylum one and a half years ago, this mix of cultures and food is not something new.
20 Voices connecting multicultural youth
SSI’s Youth Collective program launched the 20 Voices project on October 2, with a dedicated employment forum to help multicultural youth develop skills for the workforce. Designed to promote discussion on employment issues affecting young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, the 20 Voices Youth Employment Symposium featured a series of presentations and skills workshops to help prepare young people for careers.
Photography workshop to help refugees and asylum seekers tell their stories
SSI’s second partnership with CuriousWorks, an arts company that celebrates Australia’s diversity through storytelling, is a photography workshop for people from refugee backgrounds, or who are and seeking asylum.
From the CEO – refugees being welcomed
The Federal Government’s decision to accept 12,000 refugees from the Syria and Iraq wars and provide more funding for the UNHCR has created an incredible amount of public and media interest. The pleasing thing about the interest is that it has been overwhelmingly positive in nature.
Men seeking asylum regenerate Australian bush and make new friends along the way
Life in Australia began just over two years ago for Mohsen, who came to Sydney 26 months ago as an asylum seeker from Iran. Sydney is a far cry from life in Iran but one of the most remarkable differences for Mohsen is the Australian wildlife, which has captured his curiosity ever since he arrived.
VIDEO: SSI awarded for mental health approach
Settlement Services International (SSI) has been awarded for its ongoing efforts to support and maintain the mental health of refugees and people seeking asylum. At the annual NSW Mental Health Matters Awards in Sydney on September 30, SSI was presented with the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities award.
Sydney Writers Festival: young refugees tell their stories
As part of the Sydney Writers’ Festival 2015 My Story project, SSI has organised a series of workshops to support the voices of young people from refugee backgrounds.My Story aims to document the changing face of children in Greater Western Sydney, one of Sydney’s biggest and most diverse regions. Sydney Writers’ Festival is looking for stories about the everyday lives of children aged 5 to 18.
Women Empowering Refugee Women, do just that
Lissa McCawley and her daughter Amy, from Terrey Hills in semi-rural northern Sydney, drove to Auburn in western Sydney recently to make a donation that will help recently arrived refugees and people seeking asylum. The pair dropped off dozens of food hampers, groceries, sanitary items and nappies for SSI to distribute to specifically to mothers and their children.
New Staples Bag is full of quality groceries, sold cheap
Food insecurity is a growing concern for many in the community who are struggling with the rising costs of living. To improve access to basic supplies and help address issues of food security in Sydney, SSI, as a member of CoAct, has launched The Staples Bag which includes an array of food provisions for those in need.
Newcastle welcomes artists seeking asylum
Art scattered throughout a Newcastle church was an unusual site for many of the guests at the opening of the Home: between here and there exhibition on Friday September 18.Coming from countries where practicing both religion and art can be a crime, the four Home exhibition artists who travelled from Sydney to participate in the event were thrilled to see the reception to their art.
Foster Care Week: SSI foster carers keep children connected
Garry and Natalie* are often told that their foster children are blessed to be in their care. However, they see it differently. “We are the ones who are blessed to have them in our home,” Garry said.
Foster Care Week: “It’s a very special feeling”
After almost nine years of being the foster carer for three siblings, Iqbal is preparing for the children to be returned to their mother who is now ready to care for them herself. Iqbal admitted she was upset and worried about the children leaving her, but she knows they want to be with their mother and that this is the best outcome.