The registered charity Belong Aotearoa has a long history of supporting refugee and migrant communities settling in New Zealand. And they’ve recently launched an exciting new initiative with the help of the inaugural Your West Innovation Fund.
Among the many fantastic services Belong Aotearoa offers are the Safari Playgroups. Set up 14 years ago, Auckland has six groups, including Henderson and Avondale.
According to Charlotte Gordon, Safari Playgroup Programme Coordinator, the groups are free, and everyone is welcome. ‘Safari includes play sessions for children, information workshops for parents and community connections for isolated, former refugee and migrant families,’ explains Charlotte.
The Safari Playgroups are well-established and successful. Charlotte says Belong Aotearoa is excited to build on that with a new Safari Wrap-Around Service based at the Henderson group. ‘We are committed to meeting the evolving needs of our community,’ says Charlotte. The new pilot service aims to do just that.
Thirty women from The West have been recruited to take part in the pilot, which has just started. The women come from a range of different ethnicities, including Sri Lankan, Indian, Pakistani, and African, but the largest group by far are Afghani women. Many come with limited or no English, so navigating life in New Zealand is an extra challenge.
Charlotte says the new service offers more intensive settlement support, especially in learning English, navigating the health system, and practical issues like applying for a driver’s license.
Three mentors have been appointed to offer one-on-one advice and support to the pilot women. Monthly group information sessions will tackle issues shared by the group. In November, English Language Partners came along to discuss local options for learning English for work and everyday life. And in December, the Auckland District Health Board will lead a presentation on accessing health services.
‘This is just the start,’ says Charlotte. ‘We will work with other organisations to build strong community networks and reduce the barriers to accessing services,’ she declares.
The Safari Wrap-Around Service Pilot has been made possible thanks to funding of $81,420 from the new Your West Innovation Fund. The fund aims to support and nurture innovative projects contributing to community wellbeing and primary education. The Safari project is a worthy inaugural recipient. The project will design and test new whānau support initiatives, and the lessons learned will be used in future practice.
For more information, check out Belong Aotearoa’s website.
