Hamilton Refugee CIH Graduation March 2016

It was a very excited bunch of parents who graduated from their training at the Waikato Migrant Centre in Hamilton on 30 March. One family was unable to attend owing to other classes but we wish them all well nevertheless. The Colombian families were joyful and shared their enthusiasm with everyone present. Celebrations were joined by Hamilton City Council’s Philip Yeung and Jovi Abellanosa as well as Red Cross and HMST staff .

Many stayed on for an extra lesson with Di on password ideas and they all went away smiling. Computers are all installed at home already and only 2 families are awaiting the final stages of their UFB internet connections. They are delighted to be among the first to enjoy the new upgrade to 100GB plus unlimited free YouTube per month, all free for 12 months.

Hamilton Refugee Graduation March 2016 on PhotoPeach

The Cinzah family news January 2016

One of the earliest graduating families from Nelson 2006 has been featured in both the Christchurch Press and Nelson Mail newspapers for the success of their son Lal Cinzah who recently graduated with a Civil Engineering Honours Degree from Canterbury University. Lal is the success story in our latest Computers in Homes Half Year Report.

“The first Nelson Refugee Computers in Homes ran in 2006-07 and included the Cinzah family from the Chin Hakha state of Burma Myanmar. Lal Cinzah was just beginning secondary school when his family arrived in Nelson from the Chin state, where his parents had been teachers. The Computers in Homes programme had been extended to newly-arrived refugee families in 2004, with preference given to families with teenage children as these needed to be embraced into NZ education as soon as possible before they reached leaving age. It had been found that if effective education was not grasped by teens in this short window of time that they were leaving school with few employment prospects and little hope of a tertiary education. Lal’s parents participated in that first intake and welcomed the opportunity to learn about the NZ education system and to be involved in Lal’s and his 3 siblings’ learning. Lal worked hard at school gaining many awards, and although he was already fluent in Chin and Burmese languages, he said his challenge was getting his English to a level that would take him to University. He found the NZ education system very different from in Burma where the teachers would hand out material to memorise rather than help students to understand. He preferred now being able to solve problems and became interested in Engineering after excelling in science and maths. Since graduating from Computers in Homes, Lal’s Dad, Bual Cung (2^nd from right in rear of photo) has helped with secondary maths for several years and Mum Sui Ting was a primary teacher but has worked with the Burmese communities for refugee services for many years. They are very proud of Lal and say the whole community celebrates his success too. Lal now works for Fulton Hogan in Nelson and helps with the Chin youth group as he is keen to give encouragement to those younger than himself to succeed as he has done.”

Nelson Refugee Graduation October 2015

In October 2015, 16 families graduated at Victory School Refugee CIH. It was great to see 3 school principals turn out to support students and their parents, to celebrate with them and acknowledge their commitment to family education. Other guests were Erika Ross from Ministry of Education and many Red Cross volunteers who assist families with settlement support. Families’ countries of origin were Nepal, Bhutan, Chin State and Myanmar (Burma) and both children and parents gave us wonderful dance and song performances. The youngest Chin and Nepali performers were chosen to cut the cake. Thanks to our wonderful trainer-techs Dhan and Mal and to Dianne Goodwin who holds it all together down there for us!

 Nelson Refugee Graduation October 2015 on PhotoPeach

What's in the news? - New Refugee settlement location in the South Island

Dunedin chosen as new refugee settlement location Thursday, 26 November 2015, 4:06 pm Press Release: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment

Dunedin chosen as new refugee settlement location

Dunedin has been selected as a new refugee settlement location following a whole of Government assessment.

The assessment included looking at employment, housing and Government services available alongside the support provided by the local community.

The decision to choose Dunedin was made by the New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy Senior Officials’ Group - made up of representatives from Immigration New Zealand (INZ), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Development, Office of Ethnic Communities and Department of Internal Affairs.

There are currently five settlement locations in New Zealand where quota refugees are settled after they have completed the six week reception programme at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre - Auckland region, Waikato, Manawatu, Wellington region and Nelson.

INZ General Manager Steve McGill says an extra settlement location is needed following the Government’s decision to welcome 750 Syrian refugees over the next two and a half years in response to the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Dunedin was considered alongside New Plymouth, Hastings / Napier, Invercargill and Tauranga.

Mr McGill says all the locations had certain advantages but Dunedin was selected for a number of reasons.

“Dunedin has a strong set of services and is a well-connected city where a number of government agencies have a presence,” he says. “There are good employment opportunities in the area, suitable housing is available and there is excellent support from the community.”

Our Computers in Homes team is following this with interest in anticipation of being asked to support new families in the southern regions.

Palmerston North Refugee Families Graduate October 2015

Ten new families  have completed their Computers in Homes training this month at Freyberg High School in Palmerston North with a mixture of families from the Bhutanese, Afghani and Burmese communities.  Thank you to Florence Kelly and the team at Freyberg for supporting each one of the families throughout their training and making them all feel very welcome at Freyberg High.

We would also like to acknowledge Cr Adrian Broad, Jenny Pepworth (Red Cross) and Gina Gonzales (M.O.E) for celebrating the day with us all and presenting the families with their certificates.

We are very fortunate to have a fantastic network of organisations wrapped around these families to ensure that they can support their children's learning, open opportunities for further education or employment for themselves and also be able to communicate with family overseas.

Well done


Palmerston North Refugee Families Graduation 31 October 2015 on PhotoPeach

Computers in Homes Family Liaison Visitor featured on TV 3 News

Naima featured in this video was our Family Liaison Visitor for Computers in Homes Refugee families in Auckland. Naima worked at the RYAN centre where CIH training takes place.  Click on the link below to watch the video.

http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/story/getting-to-know-nzs-muslim-community-2015081819#.VdMBPtzdKyg.facebook

Womens Weekly Article - Muslims Mums' new start

In a small community centre in Auckland, mothers and daughters are gathering for a special pamper day. As they stream through the door, some say hello and others just smile shyly – while they’ve all arrived in their new home country as refugees, they’re all at different stages of their emotional journey.

The day has been run by Refugees As Survivors – and the organiser Fahima Saeid is there to offer a hand and a smile, as the women sit down to have their nails painted and hair done. She knows all too well what they’re going through, having arrived in New Zealand as a refugee herself 15 years ago.

In Afghanistan, Fahima was working as a doctor, seeing up to 100 female patients for the organisation Doctors Without Borders until the ongoing violence forced her and her young family to seek refuge in Pakistan. Unable to work, her husband, who is also a doctor, left for New Zealand to secure residency for the family while she stayed and looked after their three small children. A year later she arrived here, hoping to work in the same profession. But she found becoming qualified in New Zealand would be a long and expensive process.
“I couldn’t believe it, I was in shock,” says Fahima. “I felt like a prisoner, sitting at home looking after the children, because I had loved my job. I’m a people-person and helping is my passion.”
Being a stay-at-home mum in a new country had its own challenges. On a few stormy nights, as her husband worked and her children slept – she was huddled in the corner of her two-storey house as it shook, terrifed it was going to fall down. A phone ringing would send her into a panic because while she knew some English, understanding the New Zealand accent was another matter. And, no one visited, which left her feeling lonely.
 

To read more, click on link: http://www.nzwomansweekly.co.nz/your-stories/weekly-people/muslim-mums-fresh-start/