Wednesday, 18 October 2023

Wellsprings for Women

Lee TARLAMIS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:01): (519) The adjournment matter I raise this evening is for my good friend the Minister for Multicultural Affairs the Honourable Ingrid Stitt. Recently I had the pleasure of launching the Wellsprings for Women pathways to volunteering for migrant and refugee women program. It is always wonderful to attend events organised by the amazing team at Wellsprings for Women, who for nearly three decades have been a beacon of support and empowerment for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds. They provide comprehensive support for women facing the challenges of resettlement in our community, assisting them to overcome the many barriers to living in a new country and helping them to find ways to apply their skills, lived experience and knowledge. As we know, the challenges faced when settling into a new country are complex and can result in a sense of loss of identity and confidence. There is no doubt it can be tough to establish connections in your community, especially when a language barrier is present, hindering your ability to apply your skills and contribute to society in the way that you would like to. The pathways to volunteering program has been developed to address exactly this.

Wellsprings brought together a group of women from migrant and refugee backgrounds with volunteering experience to co-design the program. The women discussed the challenges they had faced in settling into a new country, in finding work or volunteering roles, and the benefits volunteering had given them. The program aims to promote the value and benefits of engaging volunteer women from migrant and refugee backgrounds to foster social cohesion, build intercultural competence and create opportunities for women to develop skills and pathways to employment. It is important to recognise that many of the Wellsprings existing staff started as volunteers, and as they developed their skills and confidence they succeeded in securing paid roles. The project includes a set of videos in different languages showing volunteers describing their experiences and encouraging others to give volunteering a go. It also includes a training module for inducting and upskilling volunteers and a guide to recruit and retain volunteers from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

Migrant and refugee women have continued to show a willingness to give selflessly of their time and expertise to help others in need as they have fought to overcome adversity while also displaying extraordinary courage and hope. Gaining the services of these volunteers would be an asset for any organisation, as they bring with them a range of skills and perspectives and can be a trusted face for clients from similar backgrounds and experiences. We all know the empowerment derived from volunteering is immeasurable. It can provide a sense of purpose, new connections and valuable local experience.

Wellsprings for Women has long been at the forefront of championing the rights and voices of women, particularly those from migrant and refugee backgrounds, and this is yet another project that is testament to their unwavering commitment. The secret to the success of Wellsprings is passionate people striving to make a difference in the lives of so many and the way in which they are able to connect to the people and the communities that they are working with. This enables them to develop programs that are co-designed by those who are accessing the services and can adapt to the needs of individuals, families and the community at any given time. The action I seek is for the minister to visit Wellsprings for Women in Dandenong and see firsthand the amazing work that they are doing to support women in our community and the difference they are making to the lives of so many.