Meet Hakim, dancer and asylum seeker Hakim, 23, left a lot behind when he had to flee Burma, including all of his family and friends. But after arriving in Australia, he picked up something new that is keeping him mentally and physically strong – dancing.

SSI case manager and humanitarian award winner, Shabeera Zia, had shown how each of us could make an impact on the lives of refugees, CEO Violet Roumeliotis said today. Ms Zia was presented with the STARTTS Youth Humanitarian award at the Refugee Week launch in Wollongong on June 12.

SSI case manager and humanitarian award winner, Shabeera Zia, had shown how each of us could make an impact on the lives of refugees, CEO Violet Roumeliotis said today. Ms Zia was presented with the STARTTS Youth Humanitarian award at the Refugee Week launch in Wollongong on June 12.

In the lead up to Refugee Week 2015, on Friday June 13, Settlement Services International (SSI) launched its Welcome to Sydney kit, an information resource for its refugee and asylum seeker clients. Thomas Albrecht, UNHCR Regional Representative, launched the kit before an audience of representatives from service providers for new arrivals, government departments, humanitarian settlement providers, SSI refugee clients and Migrant Resource Centre members.

SSI case manager Shabeera Zia has been awarded the STARTTS Youth Humanitarian award at the Refugee Week launch event in Wollongong today, June 12. The theme for Refugee Week 2015 is ‘With courage let us all combine’, taken from the second verse of Australia’s national anthem.

SSI case manager Shabeera Zia has been awarded the STARTTS Youth Humanitarian award at the Refugee Week launch event in Wollongong today, June 12. The theme for Refugee Week 2015 is ‘With courage let us all combine’, taken from the second verse of Australia’s national anthem.

I want to talk about an African woman, a single mother, who has five children and had never set foot outside of her small village until she was forced to flee as a refugee. The humanitarian crisis that gripped her home included all the horrors that are too common to refugees around the world.

A belated Mother’s Day was celebrated by about 60 mothers and 20 children from refugee backgrounds at Old Government House, Parramatta on Tuesday May 12. The women and their children are supported by SSI's Humanitarian Settlement programs. The ‘high tea’ event was a get-together for women in similar situations to socialise, while their children were entertained by face painting, games and craft activities.

Welcome to the SSI Food Blog. Whether they are SSI employees, volunteers, refugees or people seeking asylum, the people featured here all share a love of food. One of the many benefits of multiculturalism is delicious food, so let’s enjoy! Laith Al Mandowi In Baghdad there are two long rivers that run from north to south and surround the city. Growing up there, we would go to those rivers to play dominoes, smoke shisha, and of course to eat and drink at the many popular riverside barbecue restaurants. One of the dishes I loved to eat was Qubba; a dish of chicken-stuffed couscous balls cooked in a fragrant stew.

Saeid, 25, is a champion in wrestling and judo and since being granted a work visa while he seeks asylum in Australia he hopes to find employment that will allow him to train other athletes in his chosen sports.  Saeid was a judo champion in his birth country Iran, but switched to wrestling when he arrived in Australia. Saeid has trained for five hours most days since.

The Newington Gunners Soccer Club’s defending champions have kicked off the 2015 season in the same fashion they finished 2014 — with a win. The Gunners’ men’s team of mostly asylum seekers and refugees that won the Granville and Districts Football Soccer Association AAM6 division title in 2014, has stepped up a division this season but continued winning nonetheless.

Many of the 32 refugees who visited Luna Park with SSI staff and volunteers in April had never been to a theme park in their life. But thanks to Mission of Hope, which donated tickets to SSI for the refugees it supports, these families had more fun than they’d had in a long time.

John Mashar arrived in Australia as a refugee from Sudan at age nine. Now at age 21, John told SSI how he was using his experience as a young refugee settling in a new country to help other young people through the Youth Collective.  “I was born in South Sudan. Sudan is split into north and south. The north has closer relations to the Arab world, like much of North Africa. They’re mostly Muslims and they have an Arab culture. The south, where I was from, has closer relations to sub-Saharan Africa, so they’re mostly Christians, they’re animists, and they have very strong African traditions.

Art workshops organised by the SSI Arts & Culture program have helped families entertain and educate their children during the April school holidays. The first workshop was held at the Peacock Gallery in Auburn where children aged between six and 15 were encouraged to create a piece of art on the theme of 'friendship'. Children created 3D hand drawings and made poppy flowers to contribute to a community wreath.

Celebrating cultural connections SSI was proud to sponsor the Children’s Festival, held in Circular Quay on March 15. The theme for 2015 was “Playing Together and Living in Harmony”, and Fleet Park in Circular Quay was brought to life with a mix of colourful clothes, cultural performances and the big smiles of many children and families.

SSI staff and asylum seeker clients took part in the OzHarvest CEO CookOff, in March. The CookOff is an annual event that brings together celebrity chefs, CEOs and vulnerable Australians to put the spotlight on issues of food security, homelessness and challenges faced by youth in crisis. It’s also a fund-raiser for OzHarvest.

SSI recently took a group of ‘Women at Risk’, and their children, for a day trip to the Blue Mountains. The SSI W@R (Woman at Risk) Committee arranged the excursion for about 30 clients who are deemed “at risk”. The group was a mix of refugee women and women seeking asylum.

Sydney Alliance is currently running a Housing Affordability Campaign to highlight how the housing crisis affects Sydney residents. Settlement Services International (SSI) has joined the advocacy campaign to highlight how the crisis is compounded further for asylum seekers and refugees. Language barriers, the lack of rental history and skills to navigate the property market, social isolation, high unemployment and mental and physical health issues combine to make securing housing a problem for refugees and asylum seekers.

Recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers from around the world came together with community members for a Harmony Day celebration held by Settlement Services International (SSI).

‘Art in the Hills’ is one of the longest running annual art exhibitions in Sydney. For 44 years, Oakhill College has hosted the exhibition to engage the community by inspiring and developing an appreciation of the arts. This year, the Hills District and beyond, will be inspired by the works of two artists of refugee background, Bassam Jabar and Victor Youssef.