Our school holiday event calendar was packed with fun, learning and family. Read on to find out what we got up to!
What makes Melbourne feel like home
For newly-arrived families, things like finding housing, employment and learning English are some of their most urgent priorities. But evidence also shows something else that is vital to refugee families to settle successfully in Australia.
And this is what it is:
Community.
These school holidays, our Settlement teams set out to help build just that. We hosted a range of programs for children, parents, young people and future professionals, with nearly one hundred participants joining in the fun and learning.
Sweet moments
For kids (and parents!) with a sweet tooth and an eye for creativity, Sihem and Reza held our first ever chocolate and kunafa making workshop at Greenvale Community Centre.
A dozen children took part in learning how to make delicious chocolate goodies, filled with the pistachio goodness that has made “Dubai chocolate” go so viral recently.
They also got to enjoy crafting hand-made mini cheesecakes, decorating them with fresh berries, sprinkles, ganache, candies and more!
Of course, some playful little ones were less interested in the making – and just there to enjoy the sweet treats at the end! And who could blame them? Scroll down to see some of the beautiful chocolate creations our group made together.
Fun and food
Across town, Dave, Gebru and Henri fired up the barbecue at our Community Family Fun Day in Sunshine.
Families took part in lawn games, sports, playground fun – and for the brave ones, a splash in the water play area!
Over a free lunch, both kids and adults could get together and talk, share stories and enjoy some time all about fun and family.
Our face painter was also a huge hit, transforming kids into colourful and magical beings!
Cosy movie days
Cold and grey days weren’t a bother these school holidays, as we gathered with a group of families for a fun movie screening of Zootopia 1 and 2 at our Sunshine office!
And we were reminded that nobody is ever too old to enjoy a bucket of popcorn and some giggles over a funny film.
Tomorrow’s professionals
Some of our newly-arrived communities were spending this holiday season with their eyes firmly on their future.
They joined Spectrum’s Mo, Gebru and some of our community partners in our Spectrum Sunshine office for an employment workshop.
Together we explored the job market in Australia, different work pathways, and even areas of skills shortages and future employment opportunities.
Over in Broadmeadows, Jad spent a day with young people, hanging out, playing sports, and topping off with a tailored information session about joining the world of healthcare and medicine.
For these young people, a future full of potential lies ahead. And again, with national skills shortages in the healthcare sector, the timing may soon be right for them to take their first steps into a range of much-needed roles.
Coming together
Conversation. Laughter. Learning. Planning for the future. Listening. Sharing.
As life gets back to business after the school holiday season, the value of community continues.
For newly-arrived families and young people, life shouldn’t only be about the urgent and challenging parts of life.
Just as important: Settling into life in Melbourne, connecting with others, making friends and good memories.
We’re proud to be a part of supporting everyone to feel at home.
