Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services

of the ACT Inc. (MARSS)

ANNUAL REPORT 2014

Second FloorTheo Notaras Multicultural Centre

180 London CircuitCanberra City,

ACT 2601GPO Box 697

Telephone: 02 6248 8577Fax: 02 6257 7655

Email: marss@marss.org.auWebsite: www.marss.org.au

Print Post Approved, Publication No. MARSS2014

Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the ACT Inc.(MARSS)

Annual Report 2014

ContentsAcknowledgements.......................................................................................................................................................3

Agenda for the Thirty Third Annual General Meeting....................................................................................................4

MARSS History and Mission...........................................................................................................................................5

MARSS Board of Management 2013-2014…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

Current MARSS Staff......................................................................................................................................................7

Volunteers and Friends .................................................................................................................................................9

Minutes of 32nd Annual General Meeting....................................................................................................................13

Chairperson's Report...................................................................................................................................................17

Chief Executive Officer’s Report..................................................................................................................................18

Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) Report.........................................................................................................19

Settlement Grants Program (SGP) Report....................................................................................................................22

Migrant Support Services (MSS) Report.......................................................................................................................27

Community Development Program (CDP) Report........................................................................................................30

Program for After School Studies (PASS) Report..........................................................................................................39

MARSS Members 2013-2014.......................................................................................................................................44

Annual Financial Report...............................................................................................................................................45

Acknowledgements

The Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the ACT Inc. (MARSS) gratefully acknowledge the assistance and support of:

ACT Office of Multicultural Affairs ACT Community Services DirectorateACT Education and Training Directorate ACT Government Economic Development DirectorateACT Government Health Directorate ACT Government Territory and Municipal Services ACT Libraries ACT Multicultural Arts ACT Office of Women ACT ShelterACT Chamber of CommerceACT Chinese Dance GroupANU Law Reform and Social Justice Australian Federal PoliceAustralian International Education AcademyBasketball ACT Burgmann Anglican SchoolCanberra Ethnic Community Groups Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Canberra ToyotaCapital FootballCare FinancialCentrelinkCISACDepartment of Social ServicesDepartment of Immigration and Border Protection

Dickson CollegeHavelock Housing AssociationHellenic ClubHodgkinson Real EstateKazar SlavenKidSafeLegal AidLennock MotorsLibraries ACTNational Driving AcademyOffice for Children, Youth and Family Support Rahula LodgeReady Real Estate Real Estate Institute of ACTReal Estate Institute of AustraliaScouts ACTSierra Leone Dance GroupSoccer CanberraSouth Sudanese Dance GroupSt Pauls ManukaTelstra Tenancy Advice BureauThe Canberra TimesTurini.com Volunteering ACTWhite Nile

Agenda for the Thirty Third Annual General Meeting

Time: 5:30 pm for 6pm

Date: Tuesday, 16th September 2014

Location: Function HallLevel 2, Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre 180 London Circuit, Canberra City, ACT 2601

1. Welcome and acknowledgement by the Chair, Raewyn Bastion

2. Guest Speaker – MLA Ms Joy Burch

ACT Minister for Multicultural Affairs

3. Minutes of the Thirty Second Annual General Meeting

4. Business arising out of the Minutes of the Thirty Second Annual General Meeting

5. Annual Report by the Chair

6. Audited Annual Financial Report presented by the Treasurer

7. Appointment of Auditor for 2014-2015

8. Other Business

9. Close of Meeting

MARSS History and MissionOur History

The Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the ACT Inc. (MARSS) was established in 1980, and incorporated in 1983. It is funded largely by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the ACT Community Services Directorate (CSD). Financial support has also been provided to MARSS by Commonwealth and ACT Governments since 1990. Since its inception, MARSS has been managed by a Board of Management comprising elected nominees from Canberra’s ethnic communities, and nominated members representing local territory and Commonwealth Government and community organisations. MARSS has grown to become a vibrant service-oriented organisation, incorporating programs for migrants of all ages to assist with language, welfare, employment, and access and equity for people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Our Clients

Our clients are migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants who are in the process of settling in the ACT and the surrounding region. MARSS recognises that in providing services to migrants, our organisation is involved in providing information and support to a broad cross-section of community organisations. As such, our relationship with communities as well as Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments is crucial to our success in assisting clients. MARSS values the co-operative arrangements that our organisation has established with other support services and all levels of Governments.

Our Mission

MARSS’ mission is to be a leader in the provision of settlement and related services for migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants in the ACT and region in a caring, supporting and enabling way.

Our Values

The following core organisational values are imbedded in our organisation to establish a culture capable of achieving MARSS’ mission. They include:

AccountabilityOpen communicationConfidentialityIntegrityProfessionalism Respect

SensitivityObjectivityInclusivenessFlexibilityContinuous improvementInnovation

These values help to shape and guide MARSS, whilst also providing an effective way in which to measure the organisation’s success.

MARSS Board of Management 2013-2014

Ms. Raewyn Bastion Chair (elected)

Mr. Ebenezer Banful Deputy Chair (elected)

Ms. Nim Osborne Treasurer (elected)

Mr. Tetteh Dugbaza Assistant Treasurer (elected)

Mr. Andrew Alwast Secretary (elected)

Mr. David Ng Public Officer (elected)

Mr. Khawar Saleem Committee Member (elected)

Mr. Juan de la Torre Committee Member (elected)

Mr. Borhan Uddin Ahmed Committee Member (elected

Mr. Simon Kwan Kit Ng Committee Member (elected)

Members of the MARSS board with our recently appointed Patron, the Honourable Lady Cosgrove

Current MARSS Staff

Katy Lambert – Executive Assistant (part time)

Sandra Elhelw – Executive Assistant (part time)

Niran Karaen - Receptionist

Dewani Bakkum - CEO

Anne Mann – Human Resources/ Finance Officer

Yepeng Wang - AccountantWarren Jansen – HSS Program Manager

Rajib Paul – SGP Case Officer

Andrew Kazar -PAS & EET Project

Officer

Chris Finnigan – Community Development

Program Officer

Kari Pahlman - HTP Program Coordinator

Kaitlin Saunders – HSS Case Officer

Tapelo Manduku – SGP Case Officer

Leanne Pattison – MSS Case Officer

Skye Stranger – HSS Case Officer

Chris Jones – Sports and Driving Program

Officer

Volunteers and FriendsThe MARSS Board of Management and staff would like to acknowledge the contributions made by volunteers in a variety of fields ranging from teaching, mentoring, computer technology, and other services provided by MARSS.

Abby RajendraAbdi MohamedAbuk AyomAgnes TzimosAgot Ayuel DengAina StruderAinsley GlassfordAlan ChanAlana KearnsAlec GrayAleksandar MisevAleksandra SladojevicAlex MaskiellAlex TuriniAlexander HodderAlexandra DaviesAli MehrabiAli Reaz EdalatAli YusufAlice HalpinAlice ReynoldsAlina LimAlireza EdalatAlison BrewsterAlison FarquharAlison RobinsonAlix BiggsAllan TarryAllirra SelkirkAmanda EdmondsAmanda NeilsonAmaya CurrascoAmber DeveridgeAmy HamiltonAmy NeveAmy PetersAmy RobertsAnahita SuryaAndrea ContiAndreas SherborneAndren KatherineAndrew ChauAnnabelle Fife

Anita DwyerAnita Ghaemi TehraniAnita TehraniAnna DesimoneAnna GruenAnna FriedewaldAnna StevensonAnne BryantAnne GunnAnne O’KeefeAnne WongAnneke MyersAnnette HughesAnnette TaylorAnni ChiltonAqel OdahAshleigh McArthurAzadeh AbbasiBarbara JesiolowskiBarbara MummeryBarry AveryBec ThornberryBen AnsellBen HarrisBen YeBenjamin PowerBenjamin TaitBen WicksBernard ForjoeBethany DoweBettina BuehnertBeverley McLeodBevil PurnellBianca HennessyBlandine MachoziBonn MaguireBrenda HartleyBrendan TonsonBriana GanesharajahBridget MartinBrian BycroftBrian McmanusBriana Ganesharajah

Bridget MartinBronte Corcoran-WardBronwyn CollinsBrooke CoplandBrooke HollandBanyar RoijidBridget MartinBrooke SeccullBruce JnaniBrygita LutonCaitlin WinterCaleb BiffantCameron WinnettCaroline TanCasey HillCharles CokerCharli ScottCharlotte BarclayCharlotte KingCharlotte WallinChene RobinsonCherie RobinsonChris BerginChris BurtChris Killick-MoranChristine BurtChristine DaviesChristine StewartChristine Yee Ching TayChung-Linh Tran ChauClaire BaddeleyClaire BrownClaire O'SullivanClaire WilsonClare BaddeleyCleo FlemingClifford LawsonColleen O’SullivanCristan McCuskerCuneet ChehlDaayna MarshDaniel Esayas BelehuDaniel Loudon

Daniel JonesDaniel TibbitsDanny BravoDave WatsonDawn DohertyDawn MichelleDebbie LeeDebra SpeldewindeDeng GarangDeng ThonDenice Paton Denis AppelEdit AdamisEhsan Abbasi ShavaziElisabeth PatzElise ThomasElizabeth MountainElizabeth MullerElizabeth PatzElizabeth ProctorElizabeth RichardsElizabeth ThangpuehElla RossoElle GreetEllen PoelsEloise MenziesEmdad HaqueEmi SeinoElizabeth Le BasElizabeth PatzEmilie AdlideEmily GreyEmily ObrienEmily WettonEmma CookEmma CummingEmma MadsenEmma VaughtiEmma WelshEmmanuel MakurEngy SalahEric SheckErin ThorpeEugene FletcherEs AlfredsEva RishanFarzaneh PashmfondoshFarzin JamatlouFay GrafenFay KhawFay PadarinFessehaye HaileselassieFiona HoggartFrancis IngwersenFrederic JeanJeanFreya Ziwei Hu

Gabi BurkeGabby YatseGabrielle BurgessGabrielle HoGenna HegyeshalmyGeoffrey Swete KellyGeorgia MajoribanksGeorgina CloughGrace Bannister-TyrellGretta LawrenceGraceman AbakahGreg FosterGuleilma PatonGulfam HussainGulielma PatonGuneet ChehlHadas HaileselassieHaidiee BarrengerHannah LeakeHannah McInnesHannah NeumayerHashmatullah SahfaqHeather DomaschenzHeather RandallHelen AveyardHelen SutherlandHelen WilsonHenry BowyerHilary NevilleHina RavalHuang Huu DoHussain SkariIan GouldIan RaynerIngo KleinertIrene HarveyIrene MillsIris LoweIsaac MalukIsabella StephensIsam SaadehJack WilliamsJacky FogertyJacqueline ElliottJacquelyn FogertyJae-Gon YooJames HassallJames TaylorJames WardJames WeatherlyJamie ColeJamil ShibliJan CashmanJan FuhrmanJan MorganJan Trask

Jan WyrellJane FarrJanelle San JuanJanette GrayJanette PetreJanice FuhrmanJanina KrugerJaroslav KaczerepaJasmine CernovsJeane BicketJed BartlettJeechun (Lydia) KwakJennifer HaighJennifer KabanguJennifer LoweJennifer McKayJennifer NixonJeremaia GakauJeremy JonesJessica AndersonJessica BromheadJessica MacKayJessica PhillipsJessica StoneJessie Coronakes-ReadJessie MaroyaJill CauserJoan TalentJoella SansonJoey YuenJohanna CastlesJudith JohnsonJohn BakkumJohn MoroJohn PatfieldJosephine ChuJuanita GabrielJunaina JalilJulia MartinJulie ColbranJulie MangosJudith BongiornoJudith JohnsonJuleigh LangenbergJustine GilbertKaitlin Sarah YoungKangan ChelKaren BurrastonKaren MartonKaren Pui wah ShihKate ChalmersKate OrnsbyKate O'ShaughnessyKate RogersKate SmythKate Sollis

Kate WaterfordKatherine ColebatchKatherine JohnsonKathryn ArnoldKay Chee LanceKeelan GoodissonKen HughesKent BrownKerri NgKerry BuikKerry SilockKieran HarrisKieran BrowneKieran HarrisKim AndrenKim KingstonKimberley StreetKristen WadeKirsty AvantharajahKishwar RahmanKristin Rashmi GallaKun JiangKyle BeutelKylie JacksonKylie SutherlandLachlan MackenzieLarry LarmourLaura HealyLaura PoundLaura Rohan-JonesLauren O'RoukeLauren RenshawLe TranLeah WinnettLee FullerLeigh CoxLin MarjovicLincoln YoungLindy RossLisa MartensLisa ReadingLivi AroraLiz BayerLiz WhiteLizy MejaisLorna StansfieldLouisa YasukawaLouise ParrottLucas PenderLucy BechtelLucy NelsonLucy SutherlandLydia KwakLyn RainforestLyn WilsonLyndon Shapcott

Lyndsey VivianLynette McGuinnessLynn WalkerLynne JohnsonLynne ThompsonMabel SayMaddison KaneMadeleine MillerMadeleine WileyMadeline WinterbottomMadelaine HowardMaguerite CastelloMahsa SeyediMaithili MahalingasivamManeerat PinyopusarerkManny ZhangMaragaret LancasterMargaret McCullockMargaret McDonaldMardie TrothMargaret DunkleyMargaret LancasterMaria Rojas PinedaMarie JolyMarie NgiamMarie-Alice McLean-DreyfusMax LiddleMaria Rojas PinedaMark FraserMarilyn OngMark GilbertMark KulasinghamMary GoodMary MilneMary PattonMaryam AziziMarie JolyMarylyn BoardMathew BluntMathew DoveMathura SinnappurajarMatilda ElderMatthew GillMaureen ScottMegan LingafelterMegan FlynnMegan ThompsonMegan WilliamsMel D’SouzaMerran PeiskerMerid EyasuMi AimonMichael RhydderchMichael ToussaintMichael StarkMichael Woodward

Michelle GroeneveldMichelle TangMiles GanteyMirna DeebMohammad Al-AniMohammad Saleem Khan AlisherzaiMollie AndersonMoo K’Lue Di GayMunashe RusamoMurtaza HaqMyo AungNadia KrivetzNadine AshtonNagalaxmi LyengarNancy ClarkeNadita DuttaNaomi WoottonNatalie ChiaNatalie SullivanNejat AliNicholas CroftsNicola KnackstredtNicole ReaperNicole SeifertOmar AransahOwen McnamaraPadma LalPamela BakkumParima PanpruetPat BoldraPatricia WorthPatrick JonesPaul FernonPete MacLeodPeter AkachiliPeter O’KeeffePeter WilsonPia WalkerPriscilla PhommalyRachel GregsonRachel MurphyRaegina TaylorRaina SinghRamya RanjanReagan O’NeillRebecca BeutelRebecca HigginsRebecca SingeRebecca WalkerRebecca YoungRedemtor SaavedraRenata GrossiRichard BakkumRita MurrayRobert Spry

Robin HudsonRobyn PearsonRobyn RutherfordRose DillonRose RoxburghRose TsenRose NuttallRosie DoneRosie RaynsRosemary OxerRoslyn HendersonRoxanna LaneRuimin GaoRuth BaderRuth HendersonRuth LinRuth StoneSabrina ChinSally NelsonSamson MasseySanjiva de SilvaSanthi JagthanSarah DobbieSarah LoganSarah Louise McKennaSarah McCookSarah NorgroveSarah PeetSaraswathy Bhaskaradas Sathya ChitturiScott CharuShahrin Mohammad AriffShamsuddin ShafiShane HarrisonSharon CrispSharjeel MujahidShin Thu GayShirley DanielsShruthisri SridharanShukur Beshkerem

Shyamala DurvasanSian WolloughbySnowy HaiblenSonia LoudonSooshiant KiafarSophie JamesSowan HongSowpakiakowri (Kowri) PerampalamStana CuljakStella ParkSteph BlackStephanie BostockStephanie CoxStephanie HadobasStephanie KatzerStephen CurrieSteve MewburnSteven DawsonSuellan LeelawardanaSophie BuchornSugar Masangcay-GuillenaSusan AndrewsSusan BuckleSusan ManningSusan NichollsSusan WaltersSuzanne PhippsSuzanne Russell Sylvia TownsendTaddele BerheTahlia TothTamie BalagaTamsyn CarusoTanya JuradoTathira FatemaTerence BakkumTha Wah K'HserThea CowieThein U Maung

Thomas AllenThomas PhelanTim BrewerTim FernandoTimothy Lindsay-ClarkeTina PahlmanTinsae TsegayeTishen BaleabnTom AllemTony ComissoTony JonesTori Bree MarshallTori MarshallTrish GerritsenUrsula CliffVerna MackintoshVictor SurkusVilayphone (Ruth) BoudsingkhoneVimonVincent GweseVeronica WrightViolet InatiViraji Wijekoon- MudiyanselageWaleerat ForanWallace MacindoeWarwick MilesWendy PhamWendy TrethawayWill CrossingWillie SananayakeYogi Lal-ParksYvonne TobinZahra AyatZid MancenidoZimnako RayidjelalZoe MortonZohara Lucas

Minutes of the 32nd Annual General MeetingMigrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the ACT Inc.

Date: 11 September 2013Venue: Theo Notarus Multicultural CentreOpened: 5.55 p.m.

1. Welcome by Deputy Chair Nim Osborne

Apology from the Chair Raewyn Bastion who is ill. A full list of apologies can be found on the attendance sheets.

Thank you to all for attending and I acknowledge the traditional landowners and their ancestors. I acknowledge the representative from DIAC Angela Gomez.

Unfortunately our Guest Speaker MLA Mary Porter AM sends her apologies.

2. Minutes of the 31 st AGM held 25 September 2012

The minutes were printed in the Annual Report 2013.

Motion: “That the minutes of the 31st AGM be confirmed.”Moved: Khawar Saleem Seconded: David Ng CARRIED

3. Business Arising from the Minutes

a. Migration Bridge. No update was available for this project, but the Board will look into this.

b. Correction to the spelling of Senator Kate Lundy’s name that was incorrectly listed in the previous minutes (top of page 14).

4. Annual Report by the Chairperson

The report as printed in the Annual Report 2013.

Motion: “That the Chairperson’s Report as printed be accepted.”Moved: Ebenezer Banful Seconded: David Ng CARRIED

5. Chief Executive Officer’s Report by Dewani Bakkum

Roughly 5000 clients come through our door, and I am really proud that this agency believes that no one should be turned away. We have had some very successful projects such as the ‘Learn to Drive’ project. Our Easter function for new arrivals was also a very successful event.

The staff have done a great job. I am so proud of the level of work and their professionalism.

Thank you to all the funding bodies especially the Dept. of Immigration & Citizenship, and the ACT Government. Thank you to the Board for the opportunity to work at MARSS, and thank you to all the Board Members, with their support we have been so successful. Thank you to all the staff and the volunteers – their dedication have made the programs really succeed.

Motion: “That the CEO’s report as printed be accepted.”Moved: Andrew Alwast Seconded: Juan de la Torre CARRIED

6. Audited Annual Financial Report

Presented by the Acting Treasurer Ebenezer Banful

This year has been a very good year for the organization. The written report is in the Annual Report 2013. Our activities have been going on, and run according to time. We have met everything required under the Constitution and the Financial Act and the Audit Act – everything has been done according to law and the organization. Our organization is in the black, and we have paid all fees and liabilities.

Motion: “That the Treasurer’s Report be adopted.”Moved: Ebenezer Banful Seconded: Andrew Alwast CARRIED

7. Appointment of Auditor for 2013/2014

Motion: “That MARSS continue to engage the current auditors for the 2013/2014 financial year.”Moved: Ebenezer Banful Seconded: David Ng CARRIED

8. Other Business

Nil

9. Election of new Board of Management

Returning Officer – Kanti Lal Jinna

Comments from the Returning Officer

Having looked at the Constitution, there is a quorum present. The election of office bearers require at least ten nominations. There were 12 nominations received, ten were valid, one withdrew, and one was invalid as they did not provide a statement.

All remaining nominations are in line with the constitution and all papers are in order.

10. Announcement of new Board of Management

As there were ten nominations for ten positions, all nominations have been declared elected.

Raewyn Bastion Kia Ora Te Whanau Social ClubBorhan Uddin Ahmed Canberra Muslim Community Inc.Nim Osborne Thai Media and Cultural of Canberra Association, Inc.Simon Kwan Kit Ng The Canberra Academy of Cantonese Opera, Inc.David Ng National Australian Chinese Association Inc.Andrew Alwast OAM The Council of Polish Organisations in ACTTetteh Dugbaza Ghana Australia Association Inc.Ebenezer Banful African Australia Association Inc.Khawar Saleem Pakistan Cultural AssociationJuan de la Torre Canberra Multicultural Community Forum Inc.

The new Board then retired and selected the new executive committee.

11. The new Executive Committee for 2013/2015 was announced:

Chair: Raewyn BastionDeputy Chair: Ebenezer BanfulSecretary: Khawar SaleemAsst. Secretary: Andrew AlwastTreasurer: Nim OsborneAsst. Treasurer: Tetteh DugbazaPublic Officer: David Ng

Deputy Chair Ebenezer Banful

Thank you all for coming and thank you to all the outgoing board for their support and help. It is good to have such hardworking people to manage the affairs of this organization.

There is lots of work ahead of us, and we need to look at how we can make something that is already good, better.

Thank you to the staff and I look forward to working with you in the same cooperative manner and I can count on your hard work and support.

We are going to be reviewing a few things such as the Procedures Manual and the Constitution to bring them up to date.

A big thank you to Dewani for managing the organization and making it as healthy as it is and helping with the development of the community of people who need the help of MARSS.

On behalf of each and every one of you, thank you. Do you have any issues you would like to discuss or have some ideas that can be looked into? We will also be looking into the Strategic Plan.

The Board meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. We have very good discussions.

Some things we would like to look into – Policies and Procedures, like an induction kit, a Board Manual, training sessions for all board members, looking at roles and responsibilities, as well as issues and duties.

Under our Constitution, we can conduct work out of meetings. Every committee will also have a period of working together and looking at how each other operates.

Thank you again to all for attending tonight.

12. Close of Meeting 6.35 p.m.

Chairperson’s ReportMigrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the ACT Inc. (MARSS) aims to be a leading organisation in the provision of settlement and related services to migrants and refugees, who are in need of assistance. MARSS plays an important role in the effective settlement of migrant and refugees. It is essential MARSS continues to adapt and enhance its services to the needs of its clients.

We are very grateful to Federal and State funding departments especially the Department of Social Services, the Community Services Directorate, Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Department of Education for their financial support.

I believe that we at MARSS are lucky to have a dedicated and caring team of people, who are drawn from a range of countries, who have very different backgrounds and who together form a professional and enthusiastic team.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to each and every member of staff and also to the many volunteers who help MARSS achieve its objectives – without them MARSS would simply not be able to function.

I also want to thank members of the MARSS management committee, both elected and ex-officio, who have all shown a great level of commitment and co-operation during the past twelve months. It has been a pleasure to work with all members of the committee. They are all volunteers and have dedicated much of their personal time to provide the oversight and guidance needed for MARSS to operate effectively.

My thanks to Ms Dewani Bakkum MARSS CEO, and her team who consistently ensure that a high quality service is provided to all clients.

Raewyn Bastion ChairpersonMigrant Refugee and Settlement Services (MARSS)

Chief Executive Officer’s ReportIt gives me great pleasure to present my report to the Annual General Meeting for the year 2013–2014. During this year, MARSS has continued to provide high quality settlement services, which are supplemented by Community Development projects, youth programs and social activities.

Our goal is to ensure that all our clients are provided with efficient and effective services to meet all their settlement needs. We have maintained our focus and energies on this goal and have ensured high quality service delivery. We are always looking for new and improved ways to provide the services our clients require, and to further develop our ‘one stop shop’ settlement hub.

We believe in an open door policy where no client is turned away without receiving assistance first. This policy has seen over 6000 clients walk through our doors in the past 12 months, which highlights the need for the settlement and community development services and programs MARSS provides.

This year in May, we were excited to welcome Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove as our new Patron. We feel very honoured to have her on board, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to show her around our office and introduce her to the board, the staff and some of our clients. I look forward to future opportunities to involve Lady Cosgrove in the work of MARSS, and thank her for her support.

MARSS prides itself on being able to provide a range of settlement services to our clients. Our settlement programs include Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) and Settlement Grants Program (SGP) funded by the Department of Social Services.

These services focus on building self-reliance by assisting migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants in the ACT and surrounds to achieve sustainable settlement outcomes. This is achieved through the provision of flexible, client centred casework, appropriate community and mainstream public sector service referrals, accommodation and information services.

All migrants who are not eligible to access settlement services through HSS and SGP are provided with assistance through the Migrant Support Services (MSS) program, which is funded by the ACT Government.

This combination of settlement services ensures that no client is turned away, and all migrants who walk through our door will have access to settlement services and support.

MARSS’ settlement services are supplemented with our Community Development Program, youth programs, social activities, employment and training, driving, and education programs. These programs are a hugely popular and have proven to greatly assist clients in making friends, finding employment and becoming self-reliant.

MARSS values its staff and volunteers and the important role they play in delivering effective and efficient services. MARSS aims to give staff and volunteers the maximum opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge through training sessions run internally and externally by consultants. We are also very grateful to the funding bodies that have provided specialised training to our staff under certain projects we administer.

As an organisation we enjoy celebrating the cultural diversity of our clients and so hold events to mark special occasions and cultural festivals.

In December we had a special celebration to both mark our 30th Anniversary and to celebrate Christmas. It was a great opportunity to acknowledge the contributions we have made to our clients and the broader community, and to reflect on how MARSS has grown over the years.

Earlier this year we celebrated “International Women’s Day” which was attended by Senator Kate Lundy and Nicole Lawder MLA. This included a showcase of MARSS’ women’s art and craft group with a display of their art work and sewing skills.

Our annual Harmony Day Sports Tournament was held in May with a great turnout of local competitive and community basketball and futsal teams. There were 13 sporting teams who participated in the day and we were thrilled to have Christopher Burke MLA join us to present MARSS Harmony players with medals to celebrate their achievements in local sporting competitions.

In June we celebrated Refugee Week by hosting an event for our clients, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders. It was a fantastic way to pay tribute to the millions of refugees worldwide, and also to celebrate the contributions of those refugees who have made Australia their new home.

MARSS hosted a special dinner in August to celebrate Eid Ul-Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan. We were honoured to share the festivities of Eid Ul-Fitr with both our Muslim and non-Muslim clients and stakeholders. Approximately 150 people attended and it was great to see such a big turn-out enjoying the professional catering delivered by MARSS staff.

We enjoy celebrating with our clients and exposing our community to a variety of different cultures and encouraging harmony.

As you may have noticed through reading my report, MARSS is always a busy place striving for excellence in service and positive settlement outcomes for our clients.

In conclusion, I would like to show my appreciation for the continued support from:ACT Government

ACT Education Department ACT Health DepartmentCommunity Services Directorate ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and IndustryDepartment of Social ServicesDepartment of Immigration and Border ProtectionOffice of Multicultural Affairs Real Estate Institute of the ACTNational Driving AcademyNational Roads and Motorists Association

My special thanks to the Chair, Raewyn Bastion and the Board of Management for their support throughout the year and my sincere thanks to the dedicated, professional and enthusiastic staff who are committed to providing high quality services to all MARSS clients.

Finally, I would like to thank all our dedicated volunteers without whose contribution and commitment we would not be able to deliver successful programs.

Dewani Bakkum CEOMigrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the A.C.T. Inc.

Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) ReportThe Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) program is Australia’s flagship program for delivering initial settlement support to humanitarian entrants upon first arriving in Australia. The program, funded by the Department of Social Services (DSS), provides intensive settlement support through a coordinated case management approach. HSS tailors its service delivery model to ensure that humanitarian entrants gain all the skills and confidence needed to become independent and fully participating members of the community.

Under the HSS program, MARSS assists humanitarian entrants who hold Refugee and Global Humanitarian Visas. During the 2013-2014 financial year DSS referred nearly 100 cases to MARSS. These cases consisted of individuals and families from a diverse range of countries and the HSS team worked closely with these clients throughout the financial year to ensure their settlement needs were met and a high level of service was delivered.

Case Management

During 2013-2014, HSS Case Officers coordinated the delivery of a range of different services to ensure our clients have the best possible transition into life in Canberra. These services begin right from the moment a client touches foot in Canberra. Some of the key settlement services provided to HSS clients include airport reception, transit assistance, property induction, initial food provision, registering with Centrelink, registering with Medicare, setting up bank accounts, enrolment in

Orientation

New HSS clients arriving in Canberra HSS clients reunite with family members

The orientation process was one of the most important services the HSS team delivered to clients in 2013-2014. The orientation involves teaching clients some of the key legal obligations and cultural norms that are important for settling in Australia such as which side of the road cars drive on and what to do at a pedestrian crossing, as well as more complicated things such as tenancy obligations.

As part of this orientation, large group sessions are held every 6-8 weeks and guest speakers from a range of organisations and government services are able to give vital information to our

clients. Topics covered include: tenancy rights and obligations, legal rights and responsibilities, rubbish and recycling, schooling, employment, and many more. The HSS casework orientation model at MARSS is constantly evolving with new initiatives being added onto the program. MARSS recently engaged with the National Gallery in a bid to introduce newly arrived clients to Australian art and culture. The first tour was organised by the Gallery in June and it was a excellent and memorable experience for the clients.

Accommodation Services

During 2013-2014, the HSS Accommodation Team facilitated both short term and long term accommodation for clients. HSS is grateful for the continuing support from Housing ACT, which maintains a stock of houses to provide to MARSS under the Refugee Transitional Housing Program (RTHP), ensuring that HSS clients are provided with transitional short term accommodation until affordable/suitable long term accommodation can be sourced.

Group orientation sessionsHSS clients at the National Gallery

The Investors Can Help project, through which benevolent homeowners and investors can rent their homes to newly arrived refugees, continues to grow with more and more benevolent homeowners and investors renting their homes to newly arrived refugees. Thanks to the combined efforts of MARSS, The ACT Chamber of Commerce and The Real Estate Institute of the ACT (REIACT), the program has been very well received by the Canberra community with inquiries being made by over 40 individuals wanting to rent their homes. MARSS has housed around 50 individuals through this initiative.

Local Area Coordination (LAC) meetings

During the 2013 – 2014 financial year, a total of four LAC meetings were held including one in Goulburn. The meetings feature presentations from key stakeholders involved in delivering services to HSS clients (such as Centrelink, Care Financial etc.). These meetings continue to be great platforms for the HSS team to increase their knowledge about services available for HSS clients.

Volunteer programThe services delivered through the HSS program could not be possible without a dedicated team of volunteers who assist in the overall settlement of HSS clients. Around 50 volunteers are currently registered with the HSS program and have assisted HSS Case Workers to develop

HSS clients in their new home HSS clients in long term accommodation

Canberra LAC participants Goulburn LAC participants

clients’ self-sufficiency and independence and promote their social inclusion. Volunteers are an integral part of the HSS program and assist with a range of tasks including (but not limited to) shopping for client arrivals, ensuring on arrival properties are homely and welcoming, helping clients with appointments and understanding where things are in their local area, showing clients how to use public transport, and being a general social support for clients. MARSS also conducts regular training for volunteers in a bid to ensure HSS clients receive the best service outcomes.

Conclusion

The 2013-2014 financial year has been an extremely successful year for the HSS team at MARSS. The HSS team looks forward to welcoming more humanitarian entrants in the ACT and surrounds in the coming year and assisting them to settle in their new home.

MARSS volunteer training MARSS volunteer workshop

Settlement Grants Program Report

The Settlement Grants Program (SGP) which is funded by the Department of Social Services assists migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants in the ACT to achieve sustainable settlement outcomes. This is achieved through the provision of flexible, client centred casework, appropriate referrals to community and mainstream public sector service providers and settlement focused group information sessions. The program also includes community development, social participation and other activities.

Some of the challenging areas of settlement for clients include accommodation, employment, finances and household management, education and training, income support and many other related issues. Clients are from a variety of backgrounds and ages. Caseworkers within SGP also

Clients performing at the MARSS 30th Anniversary and Christmas Party held in December 2013.

perform a great deal of advocacy on behalf of clients, with independence and settlement the ultimate goal. The Settlement Grants Program for 2013-14 can be categorised in the following way:

1. Casework (Advocacy and Referral)2. Information Sessions 3. Community Consultations4. Outreach

Casework

During the 2013-14 financial year SGP caseworkers assisted a total of 180 clients. The quantitative target for the period was 130 clients, thus, SGP caseworkers exceeded the target. The target of 20 intensive cases (requiring more than 3 sessions) was also exceeded as 33 clients required this level of casework.

A major component of SGP casework includes referrals. SGP caseworkers made a total of 1096 external referrals and 216 internal referrals, well exceeding the targets of 1000 and 100 respectively.

Chart 1.1 demonstrates the demographic of the clientele. The highest number of clients came from Iran at 21% followed by Afghanistan and Burma at 20% and 10% respectively.

Iran Afghanistan Burma Sudan Sri Lanka0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

21% 20%

10%6% 6%

Top 5 countries of origin for SGP clients

Clients from different countries assisted through SGP

Chart 1.1 Bar graph shows the top 5 countries of origin for clients assisted by MARSSSGP during 2013-14.

Information Sessions

Twenty one Group Information Sessions were held throughout the financial year, all of them exceeding the minimum target of attendees set in the SGP Work Program 2013-14. The topics for these sessions were “Health”, “Water Safety”, “Cross-cultural Training for Professionals”, “Domestic Violence”, “Australian Citizenship”, “Job Preparation and Cultural Awareness Training”, “Financial Management”, “Parenting”, “Legal”, “Housing” and “Emergency Services” as well as three orientation information sessions specifically targeted at youth on “Life Skills”, “Family, Relationships and Health” and “Education and Training”. For each of these sessions, specialist guest speakers were present to provide important and relevant information and to answer clients’ questions.

On the 26th of June 2014, from 2:30 – 4:00pm the Cross-Cultural Training for Professionals was held in the function room at the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre. The panel consisted of key members or community leaders of communities in the following countries, Sudan, Afghanistan,

A Department of Immigration and Border Protection Representative presented information at the SGP Australian Citizenship Information Session held on 25th September 2013.

Iran, Sri Lanka, Burma, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. There was a positive response to this event from the wider community, with twenty-five professionals from government, local service providers and the community service sector in attendance.

Accommodation continues to be a prominent area of concern for a great number of clients. The SGP Project Officers held the two Housing information sessions with an aim to address these concerns and provide useful information regarding accommodation in the ACT. The sessions were well attended by clients and utilised speakers from ACT Housing and ACT Tenants’ Union.

The community representatives, who spoke on cultural norms in each culture at the 'Cross-cultural Training for Professionals' held on 26th June 2014.

Community Consultations

To further engage with the community, SGP caseworkers organised a ‘Community Consultation’ on 3rd February 2014 with a number of community members and leaders. These included the Canberra Tamil Association (CTA), Chinese Community ACT, ACT Sierra Leone Community, Zimbabwean Community ACT, Hazara Community ACT, South Sudanese and Sudanese Community ACT and Karen Community Association ACT.

The goal of the consultation was to collect opinions on settlement issues and concerns from different community members and leaders, and ask suggestions on how MARSS can help to address these issues.

The session was very successful in collecting valuable information from the participants. During the session, each group was given time to discuss and identify concerns brought up by their communities with the intention that MARSS can initiate future ‘Community Consultations’ as follow-up with the same community members and leaders. The session was successful in providing communities the opportunity to express their concerns and allowing MARSS to inform the communities of the services already available to address the concerns raised. The consultation ended with light refreshments.

Arts and Craft Classes

Adelaide Reif from Tenants' Union ACT discussing housing at an SGP information session held on 7th April 2014.

This year’s International Women’s Day was Saturday 8 March. MARSS participates in this annual celebration of women’s contribution to society every year, with this year’s event being held on Friday 7 March. This year’s theme was the economic empowerment of women and children. With this theme in mind, MARSS held a multicultural fashion parade and gave the opportunity to our clients to display and sell their arts and crafts that they had been working on in their weekly class. MARSS was honoured to have Senator Kate Lundy come and speak about how lucky women are in Australia and how important it is to continue the discussion about the inequality women experience and the contribution they make to society. The fashion parade was a wonderful celebration of women and our diversity. There were models and fashions from Chinese community, Karen, Sierra Leone, Ugandan, Ethiopian, Indian, Afghan and the Iranian community. After the fashion parade our guests and models enjoyed a wonderful morning tea as they browsed the lovely arts and crafts collections on display.

Outreach

As part of MARSS’ commitment to its clients, SGP caseworkers engaged their clients at a variety of locations in the North of Canberra throughout the financial year. Outreach sessions were conducted fortnightly at West Belconnen and Gungahlin family and children centres. These outreach services are a valuable part of SGP as they allow clients to access assistance at a convenient location.

Senator Kate Lundy visiting MARSS Arts and Crafts stall on International Women’s Day 2014.

Conclusion

The Settlement Grants Program is a vital part of services offered at MARSS. SGP Project Officers assisted a wide range of clients and provided a range of services. SGP met all stipulated targets set forth by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, and often exceeded them. The SGP Officers were very present in the community in the 2013-2014 financial year, with attending various local area service provider meetings, Multicultural Matters Meetings, teleconferences with the Settlement Council of Australia, Community Services Expo , 2013 Multicultural Awards Gala Night, Panel Discussion Training organised by DV-Alert, ACT Multicultural Leaders Reception invited by Katy Gallagher MLA, ACT Chief Minister. SGP Project Officers also attended training at the Rural and Regional Conference in NSW, DSS Workshop on ‘A New Way of Working: Grant Funding’ etc. This, coupled with the comprehensive casework provided to clients, ensured SGP was an effective component of the settlement services offered to clients by MARSS.

Migrant Support Services (MSS) ReportThe program is funded by the Community Services Directorate-ACT Government and provides settlement services to migrants and refugees in the Canberra region. MSS officers provide referrals, advocacy, wide variety of settlement issues, including finding accommodation, employment, training and education services, family support, financial stability and community interaction. In providing these services, MARSS MSS officers endeavour to link clients with mainstream service providers to provide a pathway to independence and a transition to life in Australia.

The top 5 referrals given to MSS clients can be found at Chart 1 below.

Chart 1: Top 5 MSS Referrals from 1st July 2013 to 30th June 2014

The SGP stall at the MARSS Open Day

Emergency Relief Fund

Housing ACT job search & networks

Migration Agent Health 0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180 165

133

110 82

37

As part of the MSS program the following information sessions were held during the 2013-2014 financial year:

Ageing and Aged Care Information Session Youth information Centre Information Session Housing and Emergency service Information Session

.

South Sudanese community member Abuk Ayom interpreting in Dinka for clients at the Ageing and Aged Care Information Session

Program manager for transport at Belconnen Community Service, Graham McKerchar, discusses the community transport program at the Ageing and Aged Care Information Session on 25 June 2014.

Community Development Program (CDP) Report

The Community Development Program, funded by the ACT Community Services Directorate (CSD) is an integral part of MARSS’ Settlement Services.

Clients can access free language classes, tutoring, information sessions, sporting teams (reports on our sporting programs can be found later on in this report), consultation sessions and computer classes. For a small fee, clients can now access driving lessons from Accredited Driving Instructors and through this, gain their provisional and full licences.

The above programs are vital services that help families settle into Canberra & surrounding regions, as well as promote social cohesion. There is a variety of nationalities throughout all the programs here at MARSS, which helps clients learn about other cultures and communities here in Canberra. MARSS makes the most of this diversity and celebrates it through organising end of term gatherings where clients can bring their own cultural dish to share with other clients.

English for Living Classes:

English language classes remain the same as in recent years with their popularity still consistently growing. Introduced last financial year was the “Everyday English” class which, since its inception, has been a really smooth transitioning for newly arrived clients into English classes. This class was created to help cater for students waiting to join the formal English classes, clients waiting for enrolment into the Adult Migrant English Classes (AMEP) at CIT and also for students on bridging visas looking to improve on their English.

Senior class celebrating their end of term

Christmas partyAdvanced class practice some Australian

slang

There are 5 levels of English classes: Beginners, Elementary, Pre-intermediate/Intermediate, Advanced and Seniors. The classes run over the ACT school terms. The Advanced, Intermediate/Pre-intermediate, Elementary and Seniors classes are held twice a week for 2 hours each. Beginners, Conversation, Communication, Pronunciation and Singing and Dancing classes are conducted once a week for 2 hours for each class.

Chart 1: EFL Clients’ years in Australia from January 2014 to June 2014

Teacher Maneerat (red top) and her singing class

Teacher Helen (red top) and her Elementary Class

Less than 5 years More than 5 years0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

80

118

Chart 2: EFL Client’s nationalities from January 2014 to June 2014

Afghan

i

Argentinian

Burmese

Chinese

Filipino

IndianIra

nianIta

lian

Korean

Laotian

Mexica

n

Peruvia

n

Russian

Sierra

Leonea

n

Span

ish

Sudan

ese

Uzbekista

ni05

101520253035404550

12

14

16

1

45

1 1 1 38

17

1 2 3 51 1 2 1 2 4 6

15

1

9

1 27

17

3 1

13

Chart 3: EFL Client’s gender from January 2014 to June 2014

Male Female0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

32

166

Chart 4: EFL Client’s ages from January 2014 to June 2014

10 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51+0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0

11

36

46

105

Chart 5: EFL Client’s total attendances for each class from January 2014 to June 2014.

Advanced

Beginners

Communication

Conversa

tion

Elemen

tary

Elemen

tary T

uggera

nong

Englis

h Wrti

ting &Citizen

ship Class

Everyd

ay En

glish

Pre-Inter

mediat

e/ In

termed

iate

Pronuncia

tion

Seniors

Singin

g and Dan

cing

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

23

17

14

9

18

14

2022

28

10

14

9

Learn to Drive Program:

The Learn to Drive Program is a popular program that offers clients the opportunity to gain their driving license. The program was launched by the Hon. Joy Burch MLA Minister for Multicultural Affairs in May 2013 with 128 clients registered. The program has now had 237 clients register, 125 are currently active with 22 gaining their licence, this is a major achievement for not only the program, but for MARSS to date. Through this program it takes a client, on average, 17 lessons to gain their license.

This program provides discounted practical driving lessons to migrants and refugees on low or no income. The lessons are charged at $30 per hour and are taught in a dual pedal car by 1 of 4 Australian Accredited Instructors at MARSS. This program gives people the chance to achieve greater independence, freedom and social inclusion, while also teaching students a much needed skills to be an experienced driver on our roads.

Chart 1: Learn to Drive with MARSS client nationalities, as a percentage, May 2013 to June 2014.

Sudan Sri Lanka Afghanistan Sierra Leone Iran Other0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

25

1512

97

32

Perc

enta

ge o

f clie

nts

Chart 1: Learn to Drive with MARSS client gender, as a percentage, May 2013 to June 2014.

Mazin Madhloom obtaining his full licence

Male Female0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

38

62

Perc

enta

ge o

f clie

nts

MARSS Sports Program:

The Harmony players program is a program that aims to promote social cohesion and equality through basketball and futsal. The programs help bridge the gap between different communities in order to create better understanding of different values, cultures and beliefs. The overall idea is to promote harmony between emerging and local communities through sport.

Harmony Basketball Men’s:

There has been a good mix of players this season coming from various backgrounds including; South Sudan, China, Vietnam, Afghanistan, south America, United States, South Africa, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Australia. There has been a total of 16 players that have registered for the men’s basketball team. This team is playing in the current season and are having quite an impact. Last season they made it to the finals and lost by 1 point, this season they are playing a higher grade of teams and are in the running to make it to the finals again. The team has been strong and welcoming new players like true champions. The season is scheduled to end around September 2014.

Harmony Basketball Women’s:

The girls basketball team played extremely well last season and finished first. Most of the players were from South Sudan and have been with MARSS since their competitions in the under 19’s last year. The girl’s season has finished with the plans to build a stronger and bigger team for next season as interest has peaked.

Harmony Futsal Men’s:

There has always been a huge interest in our futsal program as this is a very popular sport worldwide. MARSS has a total of 30 players registered for this current season and 20 players that are actively playing in the competition. There are two teams for the men’s futsal, one in division 3 and one in division 5. Both teams are playing great and showing a lot of skill and potential to develop further. Both teams are on track for a spot in the finals and if they keep playing like they are, both have huge chances of successfully winning the competition.

Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) Report

The Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) provides support to individuals who require immediate financial assistance. As part of the program clients have access to food vouchers and bus tickets. For many clients the financial burden of transport prevents them from accessing services. Providing food vouchers helps clients redirect their money to other bills helping alleviate financial concerns. The provision of bus tickets enables clients to access services, attend appointments, or take their children to school safely. Over the 2013-2014 financial year, 137 clients were assisted on 272 occasions. A total of 56 referrals were made to other services both internally and externally.

Number of clients Times assistance provided Number of referrals0

50

100

150

200

250

300

137

272

56

ERF Assistance

Clie

nts

Telstra Bill Assistance Program (TBAP) Report

The Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) officer at MARSS also provides bill assistance for Telstra phone and internet bills. Many clients find themselves in financial hardship in cases where multiple bills are due at the same time, or finances are stretched for other reasons. Over the 2013-2014 financial year, 35 clients were assisted with TBAP vouchers.

Home Tutor Program Report

The Home Tutor Program matches volunteer English language tutors with adult migrant and refugee clients who are unable to attend formal English classes for a variety of reasons such as work or family commitments and travel restrictions.

Along with English language tuition, tutors provide much needed support in helping students to better understand Australian cultures and systems. Tutors also help clients prepare for the Australian Citizenship Test where applicable.

The Project Officer matches clients with tutors appropriately, and provides support to volunteers, including in the form newsletters and training workshops to share resources, materials, information and tutoring strategies. The training workshops also provide volunteers with the opportunity to network and seek advice and help from one another.

Less than 5 years More than 5 years0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

30

82

Home Tutor Program Students' Years in Australia

July 2013 - June 2014

18 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 60 61 to 70 71 to 80 81 to 900

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1

13

45

35

15

0 1 2

Home Tutor Program Students' Ages

July 2013 - June 2014

Male Female0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

24

88

Home Tutor Program Students' Gender

July 2013 - June 2014

Sudan

Burma

Afghan

istan

Iran

IraqChina

Vietnam

Bangla

desh

Sierra

Leone

Thaila

nd

Cambodia

ChileKorea

South Su

dan

Albania

Algeria

Burundi

Guinea

Hungary

Libya

Nepal

Peru

RomaniaRussi

a

SomaliaSp

ain

Sri La

nka

Zimbab

we0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40 38

14

97

5 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Home Tutor Program Students' Country of Birth

July 2013 - June 2014

Program for After School Studies (PASS)

PASS is a free tutoring service provided to clients between the ages of 12 and 25 from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The aim of the program is to provide regular tutoring to clients in high school, college, the Canberra Institute of Technology and university. The program is held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 3.30pm and 6.30pm. Each client receives one-on-one support from a tutor in specific subjects and courses.

A volunteer tutor helps a client with his

homeworkThe clients and volunteers enjoyed the

movie night

Clients and tutors have busy lives and timetables that are constantly changing, making PASS very fluid. Where possible the coordinator tries to match a client with a tutor on a regular basis once or twice a week. These regular pairings allow the tutor and client to build a rapport, and for the tutor to learn more about their client and their style of learning. This year MARSS held an information session for clients and volunteer tutors from PASS during National Youth Week in April 201. At the event the PASS coordinator explained to clients and the volunteers the importance of celebrating achievements. Clients and volunteers enjoyed pizza and soft drinks while watching the movie Cool Runnings.

Some unexpected achievements of the PASS program included being interviewed by a reporter from The Chronicle for an article on PASS published in June 2014. The PASS coordinator also registered 4 clients to complete a Certificate III in Disability Services and Certificate II in Community Services. The courses were held on Saturdays so it did not interfere with clients’ attendance at school. These nationally-recognised qualifications allow clients to work in the disability and community services sectors, and increase their employability.

PASS has continued to expand in 2013-2014. Over the past year PASS has provided tutoring assistance to 93 clients, and 86 tutors have volunteered their time and expertise. This included 22 clients and 28 tutors actively involved in PASS Belconnen held in the upstairs meeting room in Belconnen Library on Mondays from 4pm to 5pm. Below is a chart that demonstrate the nationalities of participants involved in PASS during the past year.

Afghan

istan

Australia

Sudan

Pakista

n

Sri La

nkaYem

enIndia

Solomon Isl

ands

Eritre

a

South Su

dan

Vietnam

Liberi

a

German

y0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16 1514

10

8

54 4 4 4

32 2 2 2 2 2

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

PASS client demographics January 2014 to June 2014

Num

ber o

f clie

nts

Several PASS clients have gone on to study at university and CIT in areas of law and community development. Some PASS students have completed work experience at MARSS as part of their respective degrees. It is a pleasure to see the commitment of clients in attending PASS to receive tutoring after a long day at school, and to see their improvement in their academic skills and in their general confidence.

I would like to thank all of the tutors who have volunteered in PASS over the last year. The clients are very grateful for all of the time volunteers give to them. I would also like to acknowledge the Community Services Directorate and St Paul’s in Manuka which donates funds to keep PASS Belconnen going.

Courses and employment

Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the ACT Inc (MARSS), together with registered training organisation Reach for Training, are offering free course to eligible clients interested in getting a head start on their career.

MARSS is offering a Certificate III in Community Services Work, and a Certificate III in Disability and Aged Care, under the ACT Government funded Priority Services Program. As many as 35 clients have so far completed this training.

As many as 28 clients have obtained their Certificate II in Community Services Work and Certificate III in Children’s Services qualifications through a separate registered training organisation.

MARSS is working with a local aged care facilities to provide work placements for clients who have completed their Certificate III in Community Services Work, and Certificate III in Aged Care.

MARSS also provides resume help and job seeker assistance to clients, and works with employers to help place clients in employment.

MARSS MEMBERS 2013-2014

Some of the students from the employment training course

Africa Australia Association Inc

Australian Mon Association Inc

Canberra Academy of Cantonese Opera

Canberra Latvian Association

Canberra Multicultural Community Forum Inc

Canberra Muslim Community Inc

Canberra Saiva Temple

Council of Polish Organisations in the ACT

Ghana Australia Association Inc

India-Australia Association of Canberra

Kia Ora Te Whanau Social Club Inc

National Australian Chinese Association

National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA)

Pakistan Cultural Association Inc

Philippine Cultural Society

Radyo Filipino Canberra-Australia Inc

Sierra Leone Community in Canberran & regions

South Sudan Australia Community Association

Thai Media and Culture of Canberra