For students who are asylum seekers and refugees, adjusting to a whole new life in Australia presents many challenges. Being placed in a school after lengthy periods in a refugee camp or a place of refuge can be a very stressful time for these young people who can often feel isolated and anxious as they try to settle into a new culture and school system. Many of them arrive in Australia after having experienced lengthy periods of dislocation, grief and trauma.
Launched in Sydney in 2008, MercyWorks Connect is our largest volunteer program. It recruits, trains and supports volunteers to assist school students, groups of adults and their families from refugee backgrounds adjust to life in Australia. After training, the volunteers offer mentoring to students as they settle into the Australian school and education system. They provide support that nurtures well-being and self-esteem and improves students’ literacy and numeracy skills.
Usually our volunteers have a background in school education with many being ex-teachers. Volunteers work with the refugee students, from K-12, for a minimum of a half day per week.
The program also supports parents and mature age students through adult classes providing them with the opportunity to improve their spoken and written English.
13 years on and Mercy Works Connect is now operating in three states across Australia, – NSW, Victoria and WA – with more than 270 volunteers supporting over 1400 students in 116 primary and secondary schools.
At Mercy Works we are very proud of our Mercy Works Connect program which benefits refugees and asylum seekers, while at the same time enriching the skills and experience of so many generous volunteers.
We have three Mercy Works Connect Projects across Australia:
Running since 2008, Mercy Works Connect NSW currently has 67 volunteers and operates in 31 Primary, Secondary, Catholic and Government schools, assisting more than 450 students from a refugee background by providing literacy and numeracy during class time. The program also supports more than 60 adults through Adult Language and Conversation classes.
If you’re passionate about helping refugees and have experience working in a school setting, consider volunteering for Mercy Works Connect Sydney.
Each volunteer is assigned to work with an individual or small group of refugee students in a school.
You’ll play a role in overcoming racism in Australia and in breaking down cross-cultural barriers.
You’ll meet new people, share ideas and receive ongoing support from the Project Co-ordinator, In-school Co-ordinator and other volunteers.
Click here for an application form or more information on volunteering for Mercy Works Connect NSW.
To donate or speak to our Mercy Works Connect NSW Coordinator, please call Paul on 02 95641911 or send an email to paul.taylor@mercyworks.org.au
Launched in November 2011, Mercy Works Connect Victoria has 150 volunteers and operates in 40 Primary, Secondary Catholic and Government Schools supporting more than 400 students of a refugee background by providing literacy and numeracy support during class time. The program also runs adult literacy programs supporting more than 150 adults from a humanitarian background.
If you’re passionate about helping refugees and have experience working in a school setting, consider volunteering for Mercy Works Connect Victoria.
You’ll play a role in overcoming racism in Australia and in breaking down cross-cultural barriers.
You’ll meet new people, share ideas and receive ongoing support from the Project Co-ordinator, In-school Co-ordinator and other volunteers.
Click here for an application form or more information on volunteering for Mercy Works Connect Victoria.
To donate or speak to our Mercy Works Connect Victoria Coordinator, please call Kathy Cooney on 0415 246 640 or send an email to katherine.cooney@mercyworks.org.au
Launched in 2015, Mercy Works Connect WA currently has 55 volunteers assisting 318 students in 20 schools. The project also runs language classes for 17 adults.
For more information or to volunteer for the Mercy Works Connect WA Project contact Kristen on 0406 233 102 or email kristen.soon@mercyworks.org.au
If you’re passionate about helping refugees and have experience working in a school setting, consider volunteering for Mercy Works Connect WA.
You’ll play a role in overcoming racism in Australia and in breaking down cross-cultural barriers.
You’ll meet new people, share ideas and receive ongoing support from the Project Co-ordinator, In-school Co-ordinator and other volunteers.
Click here for an application form or more information on volunteering for Mercy Works Connect WA.
To donate or speak to our Mercy Works Connect WA Coordinator, please call Kristen Soon on 0406 233 102 or send an email to kristen.soon@mercyworks.org.au
Gateways to Employment for People Seeking Asylum Project
This Mercy Works project, in partnership with the Romero Centre, is now in its second year and addresses major barriers to employment for some of the 3,000 people seeking asylum in Queensland, with a particular focus on women.
The Centre provides services to a diverse range of people seeking asylum from over 40 cultural groups including Afghanistan, Iran, Nigeria, Syria, PNG, Somalia, China and Sri Lanka.
The goal of this project is to increase the level of sustainable employment for people seeking asylum.
English language skills, lack of resources, lack of networks and cultural context are all barriers to employment which this project addresses through:
Providing structured free ESL learning classes with qualified teachers
Improving confidence, skills and knowledge among people seeking asylum, with a particualr emphasis on women, increasing their capacity to participate in social and community life Providing peer mentoring by bicultural/bilingual facilitators to support participants in real world settings
Providing an opportunity to gain vocational competencies and certificates as well as workplace safety and workers’ rights Strengthening sustainable pathways to employment for people seeking asylum linking with real-world employers
For women from different cultural backgrounds paid employment can be particularly difficult. Many women, particularly PNG women fleeing domestic violence, have sole child caring responsibilities, which presents an additional barrier.
The life-changing impact of gaining meaningful employment means access to income and therefore shelter, food, education and health care, as well as self-worth, human dignity and social connectedness.
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