Supporting community, creating equity: Amona’s Story
For me, it’s not just a career; it’s a central part of my life—supporting the community, organising, and advocating for those in need.”
Amona Hassab, Spectrum’s Team Leader of Social and Economic Inclusion, is reflecting on the beginnings of her career. Ahead of this week’s FECCA Conference in Brisbane (where Amona is representing Spectrum’s impactful parenting program, PINC) we’re catching up on her work in the Settlement sector to date, her thoughts on leadership, and what’s inspired her journey so far.
“I grew up in the Flemington Highrise estate, where I felt a strong connection to my community from a young age. As an Eritrean in the diaspora, I belonged to a small but close-knit community, often attending cultural and religious festivals that deepened my sense of Eritrean identity.
It felt natural for me to gravitate towards the social and community sector. However, at 17, I made a ‘questionable’ choice to study International Business. As one of the few female students in a male-dominated class, I wondered if the workplace would be just as unwelcoming. I decided to pursue a Bachelor of Community Development at Victoria University. There, I finally found my natural habitat—comfortable yet challenged—and I realized I wanted to dedicate my career to this sector”.
[Read our Connections story here, about Amona and Sihem]
“All they wanted was to feel safe and welcomed. That was our responsibility, and I recognised the weight of that duty.”
In 2015-2016, during the arrival of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, Amona stepped into a Case Management role with the Humanitarian Settlement Program. Balancing a busy workload with the demands of being a new mother, she eagerly embraced the chance to assist newly-arrived refugee families. “I raised my hand and thought, why not?” Amona recalls. “Families would arrive feeling anxious, having already endured a deeply emotional and traumatic journey.”
“As the first point of contact, the case manager really paints a picture for them of what Australia will be like, or what it could be.”
As a case manager, says Amona, “I would have a lot of documentation, questions and tickboxes for needs assessment. But I would try not to look at the paperwork while I was talking with them. I thought – how would this be welcoming to a family that has only been here [in Australia] for a few days or hours?” One way of truly connecting with each new client, was to try and learn their regional Arabic dialects to forgo the need for translators; creating a safer and more welcoming space during a vulnerable moment in their lives. Having herself arrived in Melbourne on a humanitarian visa, as a young child, Amona recalls how her own family’s case manager remains a strong memory for her mother, even three decades later – such was their impact.
Throughout our conversation today, we return often to the idea of impact – how acts of compassion, care, and effort, can have life-changing impacts for individuals, families, or entire communities. Paul Ingham, Spectrum’s General Manager of Settlement, Family Services & Employment, agrees, saying, “Amona is led by social justice, kindness and connecting with community… she is deeply committed to making a positive impact through community development in the refugee and migration sector.”
One of Amona’s own inspirations, she says, is her mother. “In 1993, she sought refuge in Australia with my sister and me, both under five years old. Like many in the diaspora, her journey here was long and challenging. She was born in Tessenai, a small town in western Eritrea, to Sudanese parents, and they moved to Sudan when war broke out in Eritrea. My mother is a matriarch and a powerhouse who in the face of profound loss and hardship and grief, she remains a strong attachment figure for our family.”
“[My mother’s] resilience inspires me every day.”
At work and at home, Amona is driven both by her deep faith and a strong belief in equity. At Spectrum, she aims for a ‘flat leadership’ style, where the strengths, perspectives and leadership potential of each of her team can be recognised and valued. “it’s important to me that everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas with me…I want to create an environment where open communication thrives, allowing us to grow and succeed together.” She is quick to direct focus to the achievements of her team and the work that they do, supporting migrants and refugees to access important resources, services, and connections.
At Spectrum, Amona is also involved with the RISE Project, to uplift and promote leadership opportunities for CARM (Culturally and Racially Marginalised) women, and the Lived Experience Advisory Group. We speak about the importance of having a diversity of voices, and ongoing education to create more equity in professional spaces. “I really believe in creating opportunities for people on the margins, helping them take control of their own narratives”, she says. It’s so important for the next generation to see diverse representation in leadership roles.”
Amona and other members of Spectrum’s Lived Experience Advisory Group in a brainstorming session
Growth and connection: Bringing PINC to the 2024 FECCA Conference
One of the key programs lead by Amona’s team is PINC, or Parenting in a New Culture. Since its inception, Spectrum’s PINC program has supported more than a thousand newly-arrived parents and carers, reducing risk of family harm and promoting happy, healthy and connected families who can thrive in Australia.
[Interested in reading more about the PINC program? Click here]
This week, Amona is representing Spectrum at the 2024 FECCA Conference in Brisbane. Along with Spectrum CEO Rebecca Power and General Manager of Settlement, Family Services & Employment Paul Ingham, she’ll be sharing the success and potential of the PINC program, and is looking forward to its continued growth throughout Australia.
“I hope to inspire others to break down barriers and carve their own paths.”
In the Settlement sector, each day brings new challenges and opportunities, influenced by global conflict and political events. At Spectrum, the work goes on twofold – continuing to uplift and connect newly-arrived clients and their families to important services and resources, as well as advocating for systemic change on a broader scale.
As Amona explains, “In most cases, refugees are often the result of global humanitarian and political decisions made by those in power. I’ve never met a refugee who chose to leave their home country; they do so only when forced, whether due to persecution related to their identity or the impacts of war.”
“If it were up to me, I would want the humanitarian settlement space to become obsolete. Because I dream of a world where peace prevails, and everyone can live safely and comfortably in their own homes.”
Having played a vital role in our Settlement team for over a decade, and with much important work ahead, Amona continues to inspire us all at Spectrum. The consideration, deep thought, and care that she and her team demonstrate each day, shows how the path can be made easier for those that come after each of us – whether professionally, in the settlement journey, or both. “I’d love [my impact] to be about championing inclusivity and giving a voice to those who often go unheard,” she reflects.
“At the end of the day, I want to leave a legacy that emphasises equity, where everyone feels valued and has the chance to thrive.”