February 2023
Mosaic Multicultural Connections (Mosaic) was privileged to be nominated by Ali Kimmorley of People Fusion as one of two charities to benefit from the International Women’s Day (IWD) fundraiser event at Newcastle Racecourse on Friday 03 March 2023. Mosaic settlement worker, Alyaa Al Attabi, and board director, Rozyta Englert, spoke to a sellout crowd about the challenges and isolation they experienced when they arrived in Australia with no support network to help them settle in their new home. With this lived experience, Alyaa is passionate about her work in Mosaic’s settlement programs including providing support through Mosaic’s Arabic Speaking Women’s Group. Over $46,000 has been shared between Mosaic’s women’s programs and EquiEnergy Youth (EEY), who work to enhance community connections to improve youth mental wellbeing. In 2020, Mosaic commenced seed funding a program in Armidale known as REAP (Regional Employment and Agriculture Program). This program is a partnership between Armidale Rotary and Mosaic. Two Rotarians have donated land for the Ezidi community and others to grow food crops. We are thrilled to announce that we have now signed a government funding contract to support this project. Like other not for profits, Mosaic faces continuous change and uncertainty with regard to our government funded programs. Aged care is going through significant reform, as is settlement. We need to become more business focused in our approach to be financially sustainable. With this in mind, Mosaic is restructuring and has introduced a new position of General Manager Programs to oversee growth and service excellence across all our programs. Mosaic farewelled Debbie Carstens, manager settlement and communities, in February 2023. Debbie left a legacy in the settlement sector with her work with multicultural communities over many years. We wish Debbie all the best as she has moved interstate for family commitments. We welcome the government’s recent decision to offer permanent residency to 19,000 people currently on Safe Haven Enterprise Visas and Temporary Protection Visa’s. People on these visas have been living in Australia, contributing to our society and longing for citizenship as well as the right to apply for visas to reunite with their loved ones. This decision gives them access to these rights and the other benefits that come with being an Australian citizen. For some, it will end a decade or more of living in limbo. We also congratulate Multicultural NSW for their newly released Settlement Strategy. NSW is the first state to establish a documented strategy to formally
recognise the settlement needs and barriers of newcomers especially people of refugee background along with asylum seekers. Multicultural NSW plan to take a listening approach to learn from the lived experience of migrants to inform support programs. Mosaic is also participating in the Settlement Council of Australia’s (SCOA) five-year roadmap, ‘Road to Belonging: A Collective Strategy for Australian Settlement Services’. Through this strategy, SCOA will co-design a whole of community process to support settlement, also based on lived experience. I am a member of the working group targeting the settlement workforce along with organisational governance. In closing, Mosaic sends a message of empathy to Ukrainians including those who have been displaced due to the conflict in their country following the Russian invasion a year ago. Over 4,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Australia since the conflict began and we send a message of solidarity in the hope for peace and reunion with their loved ones. Northern Settlement Services now trading as Mosaic Multicultural Connections celebrated our 40th anniversary at NEX Newcastle on 3rd November 2022.
Above: Deng Adut was the keynote speaker at the 40th anniversary celebrations. Deng was 2017 NSW Australian of the year. Left and below: the evening was celebrated with a two course meal and a showcase of local multicultural performers.
Annual General Meeting Mosaic Multicultural Connections held our Annual General Meeting on 24th November 2022 at 8 Chaucer Street, Hamilton. The following people were elected as board of directors for 2022/23. • Sandra Feltham • Rozyta Englert • Shirley Schulz-Robinson • Seamus Fagan • Zachary Ekandi • Patricia Owen
Recently we have had a few of our Mosaic Family leaving our organization. On 23rd December 2022 we bid farewell to our long serving settlement staff worker Tonkoh Kamara. Tonkoh served for 15 years with the organization and witnessed the evolution from Migrant Resource Centre to Northern Settlement Services and now Mosaic Multicultural Connections. We have also seen the recent departures of Toni Gemmell, Executive Manager Aged Care and Kerie Linsell Multicultural Employment Project worker. We also bid farewell to Debbie Carstens, Settlement Team Manager who has decided to head back to Brisbane for family reasons. We wish Debbie, Tonkoh, Toni and Kerrie well and all the best for their future endeavours. Above: Pictured with Tonkoh are other long serving staff Elena, Miza, Pet and Rose. Right: Toni at her farewell luncheon.
Settlement Volunteers: End of Year Dinner 2022 Volunteers and Co-ordinators of Mosaic’s Settlement Programs (Newcastle) celebrated end of year with a delicious banquet of MiddleEastern culinary delights at Downtown Beirut restaurant on 8th December. This occasion was an opportunity for everyone to relax and socialise, and also for Mosaic to say a huge ‘thank you’ to volunteers for their dedication and hard work in supporting our clients throughout the year. It was a great night of food and conversation. Mosaic Volunteers, you are all wonderful! Have a lovely Christmas and New Year season. See you again in 2023. Michael Freund & Alyaa Al-Attabi Co-ordinators, Settlement Volunteers Left: Debbie’s farewell dinner. Debbie’s enthusiasm and passion will be sorely missed at Mosaic.
This is Hassan Mohammadi who joined Driver Licensing Access Program (DLAP) who obtained his L and P license through our program. Fardin Rahmany Program Worker
From Mosaic Family Team /Multicultural Social Parenting Group End of Year Celebration/ 2022 Sixty eight (68) children and 43 parents had a ball at the celebration of the end of the 2022 in December. Two events were held at the two locations: Warners Bay- for families of Lake Macquarie area and at Mosaic office- for families of Newcastle and around suburbs. In the beautifully decorated rooms of mystery and magic atmosphere our professional entertainer Olga Kalistratova invited children and parents of all nationalities to get acquainted with the Santa, games, dances, and snowballs. In the end Santa prised every child with a lot of presents. The morning meal ended with a festive tea party and socializing with friends. These kind of events are very important for our multicultural families because it is providing group members with opportunities to meet each other in the environment where they feel comfortable with each other, and they share values about family togetherness. Thank you to our fabulous Santa John Biswas and our lovely members of Mosaic Family Team: Pet, Miza, Juanita and Elena for organising such a wonderful event for Mosaic clients and their families.
On 8th December, clients of the Woy Woy group celebrated the festive season with a lunch at the Everglades Country Club Volunteers had their Xmas lunch on 13th December at The Entrance Leagues Club in Bateau Bay
On 6th December the Spanish - speaking group celebrated the festive season with an Xmas picnic at Lyons Park in Woy Woy. Despite the windy conditions everyone enjoyed the day. Joan Hill is a very independent lady who turned 100 on 2 nd January 2023. She is still living alone in her own home with minimal services. She has a monthly domestic service and fortnightly shopping service through CHSP – Flexible Respite. She enjoyed a 100th birthday party with friends and family and has received her letter from the King and Governor General. She absolutely loves the services she receives from Mosaic”. DISCLAIMER Information contained in this newsletter is believed to be true and accurate at the time of publication. However, changes in circumstance and/or policy development may impact upon its accuracy. Mosaic is not liable to any person or organisation, whether in negligence or otherwise, for anything published or omitted from this publication. 8 Chaucer Street, Hamilton NSW 2303 (02) 4969 3399 Free Call 1800 813 205 [email protected] www.mosaicmc.org.au Business Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am 5:00pm