Top Ten Posts of 2018
Twenty-eighteen was a wonderful year at the Muslim Women’s Association of SA, full of innovative projects and meaningful services for our members.
MWASA has been growing an online audience through our Facebook page and our new email subscription option for service providers. This is terrific as the internet is the fastest and easiest way for us to share information about our programs and upcoming events!
We are able to see which of our posts have performed the best throughout 2018, meaning which of our posts that you have engaged with the most by viewing, clicking and reacting.
Read on to see our number 1 most popular post of 2018, and on the way remember what a fantastic year 2018 was…
10th place
9th place
Leadership Workshop for Young Muslim Women
8th place
7th place
6th place
Volunteer Picnic at Bonython Park
5th place
4th place
3rd place
2018 Multicultural Community Event
2nd place
1st place
National Mosque Open Day at Masjid Al Khalil
CHSP Fitness Program: Both a Finishing and a Beginning
The CHSP (Commonwealth Home Support Program) 6 Week Fitness Program delivered in collaboration with ACH has finished. However, it looks to be an inspirational beginning as well.
All of the seniors were happy and social throughout the program.
At the beginning of the program, participants underwent a pre-fitness assessment and set some goals.
We are pleased to report that those who attended the workouts regularly reached their goals!
The regular participants who came every week built a strong connection with each other and offer each other encouragement.
The lesson learned is that when it comes to fitness and well-being: consistency is everything!
We look forward to supporting our seniors into the future with their fitness and well-being goals.
SGP Sustainability Session
The Muslim Women’s Association of SA always looks for SGP (Settlement Grants Program) presenters who can cover relevant issues for newly arrived women and their families.
On Thursday 29th November 2018, Nick Brummer and his team from the project “Adelaide Community Leaders Course in Sustainability” presented an information session at our office on recycling.
There was a visual presentation along with activities which made the information easy to understand and fun for the group. MWASA will make use of the “Mini Bin Game” donated to us for future programs. The game has 3 mini bins and a variety of household rubbish, the aim of the game is to put the rubbish in the correct bin.
Nick and his team were culturally sensitive and responded patiently to all group questions. This put the group at ease in asking questions and clearing all doubts.
Overall the session was well presented and we feel that the purpose of the project “Adelaide Community Leaders Course in Sustainability” was achieved since the group will be using what they have learned in their everyday life and reducing their impact on our environment.
Comments from the group
1. “I learnt a lot and (was) surprised to know that hair is a compost organic item”
2. “It is now clear how to sort different items”
3. “Removing lids from bottle is important”
4. “I will be more responsible after learning how hard people at the recycle depot work to make Australia a better place and to keep it clean. “
5. “Also we learnt how important it is to recycle correctly for the environment”
NEW Email Subscription Option
We’ve been working on ways to communicate better with everyone, and we’re happy to announce that the Service Provider Email Subscription option is now available!
The Muslim Women’s Association of SA enjoys working with various community groups and stakeholders and we appreciate that the easiest way to keep connected in a professional capacity is to have our updates delivered straight to your working email.
Click here to add your email address to our subscription list.
Community Resource: Surviving the Ocean of Depression
Excerpt taken from Surviving the Ocean of Depression.
In this project, asylum seekers and refugees who are now living in Australia generously share their experiences in overcoming hardships in order to reach, support and empower others. Stories are told in Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Nepali and Pashto.
This project was initiated by Dr Abdul Stanikzai. While working as an interpreter in Adelaide, he was called upon to translate for medical professionals responding to people from diverse language groups, some of whom had come to Australia seeking asylum and refuge, who were facing mental health crises (and as a result were in psychiatric wards). Dr Stanikzai recognised that mental health staff were struggling to find ways to respond and that it could be significant for those currently in crisis to be able to listen, in their own language, to stories from others who had been through similar experiences and who had managed to ‘overcome the ocean of depression’. Dr Stanikzai mentioned this to Dulwich Centre Foundation and this project is the result.
The resources contain stories from interviews conducted by Dr Stanikzai as well as contributions from the Muslim Women’s Association of South Australia.
Please visit the project page to learn more.
CHSP Fitness Classes taking Seniors from Strength to Strength
We have almost reached the end of the CHSP Fitness Program.
The seniors have been enjoying themselves thoroughly and are feeling stronger than ever!
Regular exercise is crucial to falls prevention. Regular exercise improves balance and reflexes so some falls can be avoided altogether. Further to that, regular exercise strengthens the musculoskeletal system so that even in the case of a fall, serious injury can be avoided.
Coffee with a Muslim: Watch this Space
MWASA Jubilee: Celebrating Supporting Muslim Women in Adelaide for over 25 years
On the afternoon of Saturday 22nd of September 2018, the Muslim Women’s Association of SA (MWASA) marked 25 years of supporting Muslim women in Adelaide by hosting a Jubilee celebration at the Clarence Park Community Centre.
Sister Ramila Chanisheff was a wonderful Master of Ceremony for the day, elegantly introducing performers and speakers and guiding us through the afternoon.
The event opened with a welcome speech from Vice Chairperson, Sister Azidah, who also acknowledged the founders of our organisation.
We were fortunate in being able to host several guests of honour: His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le Governor of South Australia and Mrs Lan Le, and Assistant Minister to the Premier Jing Lee and Mr Eddie Liew.
The Governor addressed the room with a speech which was supportive and inspiring, and the Assistant Minister to the Premier Jing Lee’s speech was delightfully warm. Both speeches were entirely engaging due to the genuine charisma of our guest speakers.
In the speech by Chairperson Dora Abbas, she thanked our guests of honour for attending despite their busy schedules. As a token of appreciation, MWASA had prepared gifts for the guests of honour. Sister Dora also spoke about the outlook for MWASA over the next 10 to 15 years, and invited all members and their families to contribute and participate.
Brother Ahmed Sherbini lent his pleasant voice to proceedings with heartwarming Quran recitation, nasheed and athan (call for prayer).
A colourful stand-out from proceedings was the fashion show. Organised primarily by the Youth Group, the girls were able to express their individuality in both traditional and modern modest dress.
Of great interest was the showing of a slideshow showcasing the last 25 years. It was truly inspirational to see the journey that MWASA has been through, and then also to consider the continuation of that journey into the future.
A touch of sweetness was added to the afternoon with a couple of young ladies from Australian Islamic College (AIC) reading poetry that they had written.
Our Management Team would specifically like to thank:
- Ramila Chanisheff for her outstanding delivery as Master of Ceremonies
- June Hussain, Community Development Officer, and the team of volunteers for such successful organisation and execution
- All members and friends for attendance and participation
We are all immensely grateful to our volunteer team and sponsors who made this event possible and so enjoyable.
A Physical Wellbeing Focus For CHSP Program Participants
We are currently halfway through our 6 week program of fitness classes which was organised in collaboration with ACH. The aim of the program is to provide participants with low impact workouts. The focus of the workouts is to promote wellness and resilience by staying fit and healthy through safe, low impact exercise. The program takes into account their health, level of activity and physical and mental capabilities.
Two trainers from ACH were appointed to deliver the training sessions. Twenty seniors attended our first training session at Wandana Community Centre. They arrived there punctually and were very eager. The session started with some administrative housekeeping followed by the trainers assessing the seniors to ensure that they are fit to perform the exercise. For this first session, the trainers demonstrated the technics for strengthening the upper body and balancing. Chairs and stretch bands were used to perform these motions. Members took a great interest into this session and were keen to attend the next session.
This is a program which combines exercise with education to optimise independence, increase strength, endurance and balance and provide motivation to live a healthy life. The trainers were well prepared and engaging. At the end of the 6 weeks session, the participants will feel great and have more energy, socialise and meet new people, learn how to prevent injury, improve strength, balance and cardiovascular fitness and increase range of motion and support body function and movement.
2018 Multicultural Community Event
The Muslim Women’s Association of SA had the honour of being invited by The Honourable Steven Marshall, MP Premier of South Australia, and The Honourable Jing Lee, MLC Assistant Minister to the Premier, to the 2018 Multicultural Community Event.
This annual colourful event is a special gathering of diverse community groups coming together to celebrate multiculturalism in South Australia.
Attending from our organisation was Azidah Abdul Aziz – Vice Chairperson and Secretary, Shaista Kalaniya – Project Manager and June Hussain – Community Development Officer. Our team members, in chatting with The Premier, found him to be welcoming and friendly.
Everyone was invited to attend in their traditional cultural dress. The result was magnificent; the ballroom became a swirling kaleidoscope of colours, styles and textures.
We thank The Premier’s Office for this opportunity and look forward to next year.
2018 Council Elections
Did you recently receive a voting pack in the post?
This is because the 2018 Council Elections are currently underway. The Elections are being conducted entirely by post.
Voting in the SA Council Elections is not compulsory.
Requirements have been fulfilled that you were issued a voting pack, you are not legally obliged to return it.
However, if would like to participate and you have not already returned your ballot pack, the ballot packs are due by 5pm tomorrow, Friday 9th November 2018.
Unfortunately at this late stage if you have not already received your pack, it is too late to request one.
At this stage, there may also be no guarantee that if you pop it in the post it will reach the destination in time.
You are able to drop your ballot pack into your local council office by 5pm.
Click this link to Find my local Council Office
Enrolment on the state electoral roll IS compulsory if you are:
- Over 18 years of age,
- An Australian citizen or eligible British subject, and
- Have lived at your address at least 1 month
Electoral Commission SA is working with multicultural communities in order to make information more accessible. Brochures are available in 21 different languages.
Click this link to see Information in other Languages
If you have any questions or concerns, phone the Electoral Commission on 1300 655 232 or visit the Electoral Commission website.
National Mosque Open Day 2018 at Masjid Al Khalil
The Muslim Women’s Association of SA had the opportunity to be involved with National Mosque Open Day 2018 over the weekend at Masjid Al Khalil.
MWASA had 10 volunteers, mostly Youth Group members, working within the larger National Mosque Open Day Volunteer Team.
Our volunteers supported the Open Day in different capacities. A couple were welcoming guests at the entrance, handing out free show bags containing information and bottled water. A couple were part of the Dawah Team, guiding guests and answering questions along the way. One volunteer was able to snap some excellent photos, which you can see below.
A couple of the girls were at the hijab stall, styling women so that they could see how they would look in hijab and helping them to understand how it feels to be a visibly Muslim woman.
All of the volunteers did a wonderful job, showing integrity and leadership skills in their respective job roles, effectively communicating with other team members and providing guests with professional and friendly assistance.
Attractions included a children’s bouncy castle, face painting and a Henna stall, which added an exciting showground feel. The smell of the sausage sizzle was enough to start the mouth watering in anticipation. To satisfy the sweet tooth there were donuts, dates and Arabic coffee which could be enjoyed in the Arabic Lounge.
To feed the mind and soul there was a program of speakers on different topics ranging from Women in Islam and Sharia Law to Islam in Australia. The speakers were available as a panel to answer questions from guests both in the morning and afternoon programs.
If you would like more information about National Mosque Open Day, click here to go to the National Mosque Open Day page on the Masjid Al Khalil website, or Like the Masjid page on Facebook (@IslamicArabicCentreMasjidAlKhalil).
SGP Youth Group – Shaking Things Up With a Zumba Session!
Last week the SGP (Settlement Grant Program) Youth Group had the opportunity to shake things up at Fernwood with a Zumba session!
The session had been organised as part of the holiday program, for the girls to have some fun as well as to introduce and familiarise the newly arrived girls with a gym environment.
Almost 30 girls, coming from different backgrounds, attended – and every single one enjoyed it. For some it was their first time doing Zumba. The Instructor was incredibly energetic and afterwards everyone was feeling the benefits of a good workout.
The visit to Fernwood included the Zumba session as well as a tour of the facilities and information about membership options. The staff were very cooperative and patient.
The girls are keen for future fitness sessions and some are looking into taking out their own gym memberships.
Volunteer Picnic at Bonython Park
As a sign of appreciation to our Volunteer Team, who contributed so much towards our recent Jubilee, we had organised a thank you BBQ lunch at Bonython Park on Saturday the 6th of October. Seventeen volunteers attended, along with some of the management committee.
Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the day. Naturally, the food was spectacular! There was plenty of chicken wings, sausages and bulgogi beef to go around. There was opportunity to chat and have a few laughs. The weather was wonderful, people were able to stroll and explore the park.
If you would like to get involved with the Muslim Women’s Association of SA, contribute to a team effort in helping the community and enjoy an occasional social day out, click here to go to our Volunteer page and send us through your details.
