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Teachers and students in Membok Village receiving relief supplies

Three months of continuous rainfall in the remote Western Province of Papua New Guinea has caused terrible flooding and damage in the area. Communities living along the Down Fly River and the Iowara region, two areas supported by Mercy Works livelihood projects, are seriously affected.

Water levels have remained high, causing long term flooding damage. Communities are cut off by the high-water levels and washed-out roads, Businesses, that serve these communities, are unable to operate. Food sources, such as vegetable gardens, have been destroyed by the flooding leaving communities without food.

In direct response, Mercy Works is collaborating with the Diocese of Daru-Kiunga and Bishop Joseph Durero SVD to provide Emergency Disaster Relief to prevent famine. Dinghies are being loaded up with food, such as rice, noodles, canned goods, salt and clean water to take to the isolated communities.

An increased number of people are being treated for waterborne diseases including malaria.  “Many people are suffering from hunger and various illnesses, particularly stomach pain and skin diseases. Our dedicated team from the health department is conducting bush patrols to reach those in need. This first-hand information has given us a clear picture of the severity of the crisis. Homes and gardens are submerged, leaving people with no food source and their banana crop is slowly dying. Immediate food distribution is critical.” said Bishop Durero.

Mercy Works has delivered sustainable development projects in the Western Province since 2011. Last year we started a new project partnering with West Papuan refugees to improve their living standards by addressing the root causes of poverty.

“The flooding along the Down Fly River and Iowara region is so acutely dire that our focus is now on the immediate need to prevent famine and help these people rebuild their communities. They are a resilient people, and we are determined to help them.” said Sally Bradley, RSM, Executive Director of Mercy Works.

“Volunteering is a two-way process. It is not all one way.
How do you explain joy? I feel happy afterwards.”

Peter is a Mercy Connect volunteer supporting adult refugee and asylum seekers to learn English one morning a week at Dandenong Library in Melbourne, Victoria.

“I am 80 years old, so I have been retired for quite a while. I work with adults who want to improve their English skills. I often help host the morning by welcoming people as they come in the door and allocating them to a tutor. There are resource materials that we get out of the cupboard and put away again and we provide the biscuits for a cup of coffee. It all runs itself pretty well.

Mostly, I tutor one adult at a time. Sometimes there are a couple of people at the table. The Afghan people are very motivated and have the most need. They want to be able to get a driver’s licence or perhaps prepare for citizenship or manage in society.

I call it “Survival English”, so you first have to find out where a person is starting from. I am not trying to teach them to pass an exam. I am trying to teach them to survive. I try to choose a theme that is relevant and necessary. The aim is to help them settle into a new country, a new culture and survive in it and enjoy it. And try to get over whatever traumas they have had before.

We may, for example, go over the topic of visiting a doctor. Talk with the doctor, get the prescription, and take it to the chemist. Then you read the pill packet. I have even taken along my packets. What does “Take two tablets twice a day” mean?

And then there are scenarios like the market. How much do things cost? What are all the vegetable names? What are they saying when it is three for two dollars?

One adult learner was not numerate. He cannot do arithmetic. He had never been to school. So, you are starting at a different point with him. He can count coins. But if you say, “You worked 9 hours at $15 per hour, here is $100”, he does not even know that he is being cheated.

One time I was talking with Ab Khaleq about bushfire risk in Australia and I asked him if they have similar bushfires in Afghanistan. He said no but they have guns and bombs. He knows what hazards and risks are, but they are a little bit different in Afghanistan.

Today we spent time talking about the way you address people. We were working through the cultural nuances of meeting people and saying hello. There is body language as well as language.

In Australia, we shake hands and look someone in the eye. ‘Hello, I am pleased to meet you.’ If you do not look at them it sends a bad signal. Ab Khaleq said that, in Afghanistan, he would never look directly at someone like me, older than him, when we greet each other. That would be rude.”

What is your favourite part about volunteering with Mercy Connect?

I suppose the friendship, the camaraderie with the other tutors and adult students who clearly appreciate what it is being done for them. What I most enjoy is the good feeling I get out of it. Not in an – “Aren’t I good?” – sense, but just feeling happy. I come home happy because it has been a good day. Joyful, I suppose is the word.

What advice would you give to others interested in volunteering?

There are so many opportunities. You should find the one that you really like. If you don’t like it then your heart is probably not in it. Perhaps do something else. I think you can burn out too. I just do one day a week with Mercy Connect and one day per month with St Vincent de Paul Society as a soup van volunteer. My recommendation would be to go at a pace that you can manage without getting exhausted.

What advice would you give to others interested in volunteering for Mercy Connect at the Dandenong Library?

Come along and have a look. You will find it is a convivial, supportive atmosphere. You will enjoy it immensely and you will feel you have done something useful. We are generously hosted and much appreciated by the library. They give us space. It is a brilliant library.

“You don’t volunteer to be appreciated. But I do feel appreciated.
I feel rewarded through the interactions with the kids.
They provide the reward.”

Rochelle volunteers with Mercy Work’s Mercy Connect program. For three hours per week, during school term, she provides academic support and mentorship to refugee students at a primary school in Perth, Western Australia.

“I decided to start volunteering after I had completed my fulltime paid working career. I didn’t know what it was I wanted to do. So I went onto the Seek website. I thought I would like to do something with kids. I really like kids and I have a daughter who is now 21 and doesn’t need as much attention. So I saw the opportunity with Mercy Works and I thought if you can help kids with their language and their education skills early that is something that can set them up for life. So I applied.

I volunteer for half a day on a Wednesday in the morning. I work predominantly one-on-one with the kids. The first half of the morning is with the Year 5 and 6 kids. The second half of the morning is with the Year 4 kids. Sometimes, I work with small groups of up to about three kids at a time. But more often than not it is individual. We typically work on reading fluency and comprehension.

I work with many Bhutanese kids. They are just gorgeous. There are also kids from Sri Lanka, and a girl from Vietnam.”

How has the program benefited the students?

“I have seen their confidence grow. You can definitely see the improvement they get through the additional practice. You also form a bit of a friendship with them and can be a little bit of a mentor. You get to know the kids and what interests them. Sometimes you talk about other things. We always get through the work but we also have a bit of fun as well.

Now that I have been at [the same school] for three years, some of the kids know me and will tell the other kids, oh yeh she is really good. So that has made it a little bit easier. The kids are a little bit more open and not as reserved. That’s the benefit if you can stay at  the same school and in the same year groups.

I have had some of my students for two years. And that is really nice as well because again you get to know them and you get to see how they grow in confidence. Its about their confidence in their reading and doing their school work. The kids really enjoy having the time together. That’s where you get the most out of them.

What was it like on your first day?

Like anyone, I didn’t know what the school environment would be like. I didn’t know what the requirements would be. So of course you are a little bit nervous going in.

What I appreciate is the teachers are really busy and they are trying to provide this extra opportunity on top of a very busy work load. So I kind of make sure I hang to the back and wait until they have the space to instruct me on what they want. I think that has worked really well.

What is the most rewarding part about volunteering?

Definitely the kids. The different personalities of the kids. Learning about their backgrounds. Just seeing how they approach learning. I find that interesting too. You’ve got to try different styles with the kids.

What I like is they seem to be enjoying the time we spend together learning. I get as much out of it as they get out of it. I can see that I am doing a little bit that just helps them with something that we all need. You’ve got to be able to read and comprehend.

Each kid is just so individual.

What advice would you have for others interested in volunteering?

You have to give it a bit of time to settle into the role. It is important to understand that the teachers are busy. Go with the flow. I look at it as we are there to assist.

A benefit of the Mercy Connect program is the cultural awareness training. I attended both sessions and thought it was fabulous. I got so much out of it. I would encourage people to do it.

Cultural awareness is very important when you are working with refugees. Understanding different styles of communication.

Any last words on voluntering?

I would happily recommend volunteering for the Mercy Connect program. I get way more out of it than I put in. I didn’t go in expecting to receive anything.

You don’t go into volunteering wanting something back. You go in wanting to give something. I’ve got the time now in my life to volunteer. I want to make a contribution to my community.

Look for something that interests you. Then ask youself is it working for you? If you enjoy what you do then you are going to give even more to it. If it doesn’t fit then look for something else that does work.

I have been very lucky.

“Volunteering will change you for the better.
You will grow as a person and you will find purpose as well.”

Pat volunteer’s for MPower, Mercy Work’s transformative mentorship program for young Sudanese men and women, forging pathways to tertiary education and meaningful employment. Pat mentors a university student whose family immigrated to Australia as refugees from Sudan.

“I moved to Australia from the USA over 35 years ago. My wife and I raised three daughters all now in their 20’s. For the past two decades I have volunteered, mainly coaching kid’s basketball and teaching kindness at public schools.”

How did you first get involved with MPower?

Two years ago, I met Sr Maria Sullivan [a Sister of St Joseph who started MPower in 2017]. She is a real dynamo, a unique individual. I attended a presentation by her to Sudanese students and parents living in Western Sydney. She told the students how they need to acquire skills. They need to go to either TAFE or university. They can’t just be factory workers because AI and robots will replace those jobs in ten years.

Just hearing her speak was so motivating and got me involved in MPower.

Can you share some of your experiences as a volunteer mentor?

I met with Richard [Pat’s assigned mentee] and he seemed keen and interested. He is at university studying film and communication. He wants to get into movies, and I don’t have any experience in the movie or filmmaking world. He is incredibly passionate about it. I said, you know, if that’s your dream follow your dream. Don’t give up on it.

So, what we did was I went through my LinkedIn contacts looking for people I know in the movie space. We met for coffee with someone from Channel 9 who owns a media company.

Richard asked, “what are we going to talk about?” I said, I’ve got no idea. We will just meet and have a coffee with that person and the conversation will develop. Just tell him your story. Say you are looking to get into the film world. You are looking for contacts and people that can help you and that’s why I’m sitting here with you now. Just see what the person says.

Inevitably a person tries to help you out. One hundred percent! Every single person we’ve had a coffee with they have tried to help Richard. They say, well I can do this or that for you and they follow through.

We met another guy here in Sydney who is a filmmaker. Richard started working for him on his movie for about six weeks. Richard was a roustabout. If someone needed a coffee, he got a coffee. He was on the set working with the actors and everyone.

What do you enjoy about being a volunteer mentor?

I get a lot of fulfilment from helping Richard. His first day working on a movie. Getting his first paycheck from the movie. It’s very rewarding to see someone else’s success.  Just like your own kid. You love seeing anyone succeed but it’s even more pleasurable to think that you may have played a small role in helping them get there.”

In the vibrant heart of Western Sydney, a transformative mentorship program is quietly shaping the destinies of young Sudanese men and women. The program, formerly known as the Josephite Refugee Mentor Support Program (JRMSP), now proudly bears the name “MPower.

MPower serves as an inspiring framework for mentors and mentees, forging pathways to tertiary education and meaningful employment. Born out of the profound realisation that many young Sudanese were facing daunting challenges after leaving school, the program embodies the Sudanese community’s resolve to create a brighter future for their youth.

In the past, many young Sudanese found themselves at home, jobless, lacking government welfare, and dependent on their parents for financial support. Some had legal issues, others were trapped in unhealthy relationships, and young single mothers were navigating the complexities of parenthood. Often, parents lost touch with their children, with young grandmothers stepping in as caregivers.

Sister Maria Sullivan, a sister of St Joseph, has been a steadfast companion to the Sudanese since their arrival in Australia in 1998, and lived in Mapuordit, South Sudan, for twelve months in 2006. She says that her involvement began with a request for help from the South Sudanese community “because so many of their young people were doing well in school – but when they left school, they would fall off the bridge.”

Deacon John Cinya, Chaplain to the Sudanese community, recognised the need for assistance. In 2017, he turned to Sr Maria and a visionary collaboration was forged as the JRMSP initiative began to take shape. Since that time, a core group of mentees from the original program formed a leadership team and by early 2020, in collaboration with this team of young leaders, it was decided that a website should be established and a new name “MPower” was chosen.

In August 2023, Mercy Connect NSW, as part of Mercy Works, joined forces with Sister Maria and is excited to take on full custodianship of the MPower program from April 2024. Paul Taylor, Mercy Connect NSW Project Coordinator, says

“MPower isn’t just a mentorship program;
it’s a life-sustaining support for young Sudanese people in Western Sydney.

It acknowledges the unique challenges they face and sets out to equip them and their families to transition successfully from school to higher education or meaningful employment.”

Mercy Works is currently evaluating applications for a new wave of mentors to join MPower. Mentees often need guidance to understand and value their rich cultural heritage, fostering pride and leadership within their community. To create a meaningful relationship, mentors are advised to engage with mentees’ families and familiarise themselves with the unique background of their students, including a basic understanding of Sudanese history and geography. This knowledge helps them to recognise the significant differences in the school journey of Sudanese youth compared to those whose parents can read, write, and speak English.

A significant hallmark of this endeavour is its approach of respect and a non-judgment towards cultural differences, to understand the position in which mentees often find themselves—caught between two cultures, two languages, and two sets of social norms. There is a true appreciation of the hardships that some mentees have experienced as child refugees, including separation from family, torture, trauma, language barriers, racism, discrimination, and possible post-traumatic stress.

In addition, some parents may be undergoing further trauma related to the ongoing situation in South Sudan, such as poverty, hunger, tribal conflicts, illness, and pressure to send money home. Many parents may have received little or no education, resulting in a limited understanding of tertiary studies and the demands of higher education.

Despite the challenges, MPower’s goal is to empower every Sudanese student who completes Year 12, inviting applications through School Counsellors. It’s an inclusive program, welcoming young people from all religious backgrounds and distinguished by its commitment to involving parents, especially mothers.

Research indicates that, after completing formal education, young people tend to fall into three distinct and discernible groups.

Some students wish to proceed to University or TAFE pathways and often require facilitation with course selection, enrolling, and managing their time between work and study.

Others choose to pursue a TAFE course or apprenticeship and may require more support in determining their career path without an ATAR.

Lastly, some students decide on the option of immediate full-time employment and may need help in understanding the concept of career progression and job security.

MPower’s focus in 2024 will be on those wishing to undertake tertiary education where the program has proven to be successfully instrumental in providing crucial assistance to mentees and their families in the shift from a structured school environment to self-directed learning.

Mentees are assisted to develop specific skills and knowledge including access to services and resources needed to achieve independence, confidence, and success. This covers help with challenges such as navigating an application, a car insurance claim, connection with part-time employment opportunities and financial support for various educational materials, travel expenses, and internet access.

Mentor Tess Mulveney expounds

“The one-on-one mentoring provides young people with practical and meaningful support during the crucial stage between finishing school and stepping into life as an independent adult. 

That might be helping a young person to fill out the complex enrolment forms for university — so they’re not shut out because of administration barriers.”

Throughout the journey, both mentors and mentees are motivated to be open to new experiences and personal growth, forging connections that help to create trust and friendship. Exploring new art, music, culture, or sports together, also provides opportunities to share knowledge back within their own communities, bridging the cultural divide.

Adau, a former mentee, is grateful that her mentors “have continued to support me and all my endeavours.

They have changed my life and future for the better!”

Mercy Works is proud to promote The MPower program, to foster a sense of self-determination and independence among young Sudanese, inspiring them to pursue their dreams and to become role models for the following generations. Through mentorship, MPower is lighting the path to more optimistic, more promising futures.

This article was first published by Mercy Works in the Bilum, December 2023.

Sally Bradley’s rsm, Executive Director of Mercy Works, shares a story from her recent visit to Dome 2 village, in the far Western Province of Papua New Guinea. A West Papuan refugee community who face daily hardship.

Mercy Works would like to say a big thank you for the overwhelming support we received for our June 2023 Tax Appeal – Economic Empowerment in PNG.

Your generous donations well exceeded our target of $10,000 for this project, reaching a wonderful $19,160.

This money will go to our Simbu Project in PNG where our microfinancing initiative, the Leave No One Behind Village and Life Savings Association (LNB – VSLA) is creating economic empowerment and improving the lives of the people of Simbu.

Essentially, the entrepreneurial capacity of individuals, families and communities is enhanced by promoting a saving culture and increasing access to credit to enable them to embark on income generating activities to sustain and improve their livelihoods. It is a collaborative effort taken by the local community towards financial freedom.

Sr Maryanne Kolkia RSM, who heads up the initiative, says she is incredibly grateful for the support.

“The Leave No One Behind Village Savings and Loans Association is inspiring and exciting,” says Sr Maryanne. “Every month, more requests are coming from people of all walks of life. The impact of their stories is spreading like wildfire.

“Our sincere word of gratitude and deep appreciation for your generosity. Without your support, our financial journey towards Economic Freedom and Empowerment would not be possible. Your reaching out is our strength and motivation.  Thanks for being part of own our journey in generating an income through the LNB- VSLA.”

WATCH NOW! Learn More about our Economic Empowerment initiative in PNG here: