This event has been organised specifically for clients of the SETS (Settlement Engagement & Transition Support) program.
Celebrating Refugee Week ‘A World of Flavours’
Presented by the Australian Red Cross, this highly anticipated cooking demonstration takes place in the Community Kitchen at the Adelaide Central Markets (opposite ‘Gouger Dining’).
African, Afghan and Syrian women share their love for food and their personal stories about coming to Australia.
This is an event not to be missed!
This is a free community event which doesn’t require any RSVP.
For any questions or concerns, contact Australian Red Cross direct.
First Ever Evening Eid!
National Volunteer Week 2019
Given that it was the 30th annual National Volunteer Week earlier this month, we are taking this opportunity to acknowledge our wonderful volunteers.
Volunteering Australia defines volunteering as “time willingly given for the common good and without financial gain” – but having said that, Australian volunteers contribute an estimated $290 billion to the national economy annually.
Our Volunteer Coordinator says that she is very impressed with the calibre of volunteers who have registered with MWASA.
We asked some of our valued and highly respected volunteers about their experience volunteering with us and this is what they said:
To be notified about future volunteering opportunities with MWASA, please send through your details using the online form.
In case we currently don’t have any opportunities available in your chosen area of interest or expertise; Volunteering Australia has released the app GoVolunteer to match volunteers with appropriate opportunities.
June Long Weekend Office Closure
Eid al Fitr 2019
The Australian National Imams Council has announced that Eid al Fitr 2019 will fall on Wednesday 5th of June.
Community Resource: Toy Libraries
Eid Lunch (CHSP)
Community Resource: Multilingual Disability Hub
Community Resource: FREE Parenting Seminar
Continence Program Concluded
The third and final continence session was held last week.
The third session was a day tour to the Continence Resource and Independent Living Centre in Gilles Plains. Everyone gathered in the morning at the MWASA office on Victoria Square in the city and travelled out together.
The tour commenced with a welcome talk by Rosalie the Registered Nurse, who works at the Continence Foundation. Three interpreters were provided to ensure that everyone could understand and benefit.
Following on from the welcome, Sonia the Physiotherapist gave a talk about the parts and function of the pelvic floor muscle. Sonia instructed our group on how to properly perform the Kegel exercise. Everyone was very attentive and felt comfortable to ask questions. One member asked how frequently the exercises should be done and Sonia suggested that at least 3 times a week should be enough.
The next speaker, Lisa, provided further information about where to go for help if someone is experiencing the problem of incontinence. There are many types of health care workers, the first visit can be to the family GP (General Practitioner) and then the GP can refer on to the Physiotherapist or other specialist, or a nurse can also provide assistance. Lisa informed everyone about the Continence Foundation website, which shows information in 32 different languages, and she let everyone know about the helpline so that they are aware in the case the need assistance.
Finally, the Occupational Therapist gave the group a tour which included demonstrations of the different kinds of equipment that a person can use to live independently. The equipment ranged from different types of beds, to kitchen utensils, gardening tools, personal care kits, walking aids, wheelchair cushions, scooters of different kinds, toilet seats and much more.
Overall the day was incredibly informative and all participants learned so much. They enjoyed seeing and being able to touch the equipment, which helps with understanding and being able to retain that information. The members feel that this information will be very useful to them in the future.
Silver Jubilee for Service Providers
The Muslim Women’s Association of SA (MWASA) Silver Jubilee for Service Providers was celebrated in February, to acknowledge the contribution made by Service Providers towards our success.
The event was held in the Bradley Forum Hall at the Hawke Centre. We appreciate the kindness of UniSA in providing us with this beautiful venue.
The event was organised by the MWASA Youth group, under the supervision of Project Manager Shaista Kalaniya. The tasks were distributed among the group based on their interest and skills. As always, the Youth Group made us proud by executing another successful event.
The program began with Quran recitation by Asyraaf Shahrizan, followed by the translation given by Melissa Ayyildiz. Chairperson Dora Abbas gave an opening speech, welcoming and addressing the guests.
His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le Governor of South Australia and Mrs Lan Le kindly accepted our invitation to be Guests of Honour for the event. His Excellency’s speech was full of encouragement, appreciation and his views on when a refugee feels settled was very thoughtful.
Other guests included representatives from various organisations.
A performance was given by Brother Zuhir Naji, a newly arrived refugee from Syria who is a singer and ran a music school in his country before coming to Australia in 2016. He played Oudh (musical Instrument) and sang an Arabic song. His performance was enjoyed by everyone.
A slideshow was presented on the journey of MWASA, another highlight of the day which received a lot of appreciations from the guests. The credit goes to Zainab Al Hamad and Saad Kalaniya for putting together a memorable presentation.
Over the past month, a wide array of members of the Muslim Women’s Association were asked about their thoughts, journey, and experience which they’ve had with the organisation. Their responses were captured and compiled by Melissa and her team.
Acknowledgements & Congratulations
MWASA would like to thank all the volunteers who gave their time and effort in making this event a memorable and successful one.
We acknowledge Shamil Jamion who assisted with the videography and producing a video that captured the highlights of the event.
We also thank Ramila Chanisheff for being the MC (Mistress of Ceremonies) for the event.
Management would like to congratulate Shaista and the MWASA Youth Group on the successful and memorable Service Providers event.
Sponsors
We take this opportunity to acknowledge our sponsors.
We thank Nosaiba for all the hard work in getting sponsors.
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UniSA |
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Hire-Ay |
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Parwana Afghan Kitchen |
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Syrian Sweets |
Community Resource: Sonder Employment Solutions
Sonder Employment Solutions is a new program aimed at migrants and refugees living in Adelaide’s northern and western suburbs who receive income support payments and need support with finding employment.
The service is entirely voluntary and is not connected to Centrelink Job Service Providers.
Sonder Employment Solutions is a free program and getting involved is easy. To access the program, complete the online referral form.
Expression of Gratitude
The Team Took a Tour of Parliament House
At the end of last month, the Muslim Women’s Association of SA (MWASA) had the great pleasure of being invited to Parliament House as guests of the Honourable Jing Lee MLC. The event fell between MWASA’s Silver Jubilee and International Women’s Day and honoured both.
Around 30 ladies attended on the day; the group included founding members and members of both the senior’s and youth programs.
The Honourable Jing Lee MLC was nothing less than the charismatic and welcoming community leader we have come to know and respect.
We started by sharing refreshments and stories. We were officially welcomed by our host. Chairperson Dora Abbas responded with words of gratitude and optimism for the future. Our members then had an opportunity to stand up and share how they came to be involved with MWASA, what background they are coming from and how MWASA has helped them in providing opportunities and guidance towards fulfilling futures.
The Honourable Jing Lee MLC was a gracious and engaging guide, sharing with us the history and function of each room.
Everyone was inspired with awe at the rich detail everywhere we looked: the Corinthian columns, plush carpets, ornate carved wood and moulded plaster architraves and fixtures, artworks and historical artefacts.
Our group photo taken in the House of Representatives shows some artworks on the wall behind, one of which commemorates this year being the 125 year anniversary of women’s suffrage in South Australia.
The day was a wonderful experience, our team and members all learnt a great deal and have been left with lasting feelings of inclusion and inspiration.
Management would like to congratulate Community Development Officer June Hussain on organising all attendants for this landmark Parliament House event.
