Northland and Auckland - Settling In

Northland

Northland Muslim community – Settling In has worked with the small but growing Muslim community in the area. The focus of this work has been facilitating connections and raising awareness within the wider community of the needs of the Muslim people and their youth. Local iwi have recently worked with young refugees taking part in leadership camps in the area.

Refugee youth leadership camps – 75 young refugees (including a separate group of females) from diverse ethnic backgrounds have recently taken part in leadership development camps held in Northland. The camps were hosted and facilitated by Ara Moana Adventures. For many of the young people it was the first time that they had been to this part of the country and for some it was the first time they had been in the sea. The camps were very successful and the whole experience incredibly rewarding for those young people involved – increasing their self-esteem, confidence and teamwork skills.

Capacity building – Settling In supports a range of capacity-building work with refugee and migrant groups in order to build their confidence and skills to operate successfully within the New Zealand environment. This might include work on management and governance structures or financial matters so that a particular group can then apply for funding and become sustainable as an ongoing entity to support their communities. The Settling In coordinator responsible for this work is based in Whangarei but works with communities across New Zealand.

Auckland

Auckland has the most diverse population in New Zealand. Settling In has been in Auckland since 2003 when the initiative started. Current work priorities include:

• Parenting support - working with others to develop and implement a range of programmes focused on parenting within the New Zealand context and related work on issues of family safety. These programmes are designed in collaboration with specific communities so that they are culturally and religiously appropriate. They are usually delivered bilingually and coordinated by leaders from the community concerned.
• Family violence - this work is focused on early prevention and intervention around family safety and support and involves a collaborative multi-agency approach. It is significant that this issue, which was never mentioned in the early days of Settling In, is now being acknowledged and raised directly by community leaders. Settling In works closely with the Family Safety Team in Auckland to address issues around family violence.

• Supporting migrant and refugee women – development of programmes to build confidence, social opportunities and friendship. One example is the swimming programme for Muslim women, developed in collaboration with the Auckland Somali community, Procare and the Auckland District Health Board, which won the 2009 New Zealand Recreation Association Outstanding Award (Community Recreation category). This idea has now spread to other regions (eg Palmerston North) where it has been just as successful.
• Settling In has recently begun working in the Avondale area to support local women to build their confidence and enjoy friendships and social opportunities with other women from the area. The Avondale Women’s group meets regularly and at this stage all of the women involved are Chinese. Some are single mothers and many feel that their limited English is preventing them from accessing important information and connecting with their community; a number are also struggling with issues of social isolation and a lack of confidence. A popular activity enjoyed by the group is the International Folk Dancing class held every Friday in New Lynn. As well as the dancing and fun, these sessions have helped to build friendships, confidence and fitness.
• Youth leadership and development – Recent work has included youth development with young Muslim men and women and a series of youth leadership camps for young refugees, including one specifically for women from the Eritrean, Burmese, Afghani, Somali and Iraqi communities.
• Work with the local Fiji Indian community – particularly on issues of identity, health and social wellbeing. Settling In presented a paper on these issues at the 4th International Asian Health and Wellbeing Conference (Auckland University) in July 2010.

Work with Muslim communities - a range of activities with recent work focused on leadership development, identity and family safety. The Settling In work has been acknowledged internationally for its success in engaging with Muslim communities and developing collaborative practical solutions to address issues for these communities.

View a resource on ‘Healthy Eating for Ramadan' developed collaboratively by Umma Trust, Procare and Settling In:

Albany

Settling In began working in the Albany area in response to the incredible population changes in this part of the North Shore of Auckland – overseas-born residents make up almost half of Albany’s total population. A report was launched in March 2010 and key themes are the lack of community facilities in Albany and the need for a greater range of services and resources tailored for migrants. Issues of loneliness, difficulties with English language, and extreme social isolation for some groups were highlighted. Important Settling In developments in Albany include the establishment of:

• Albany Chinese Group – which now meets regularly to provide social opportunities for local Chinese and to make connections with the wider community. 
• Korean Women’s Network (KWNNZ) – which now meets weekly in Albany to share experiences, such as their adjustment to living and parenting in New Zealand, to provide support and friendship, and to learn more about accessing government and social service agencies. 
• Social English class – run by English Language Partners which started in Albany as a direct result of feedback from focus groups.

Supporting the Korean Community – More recently, Settling In has also become involved in a broad range of work with the Korean community in the wider North Shore and Auckland. This includes: 

• the establishment of a multi-agency working group to focus on critical issues for Korean migrants especially in relation to isolation, depression and access to information. This work was initiated in response to the Settling In report and also community distress at the recent tragic death of a Korean family in Christchurch)
• support for the Rainbow Senior Group which provides social opportunities for Korean seniors 
• support for the Korean Women's Association of NZ which provides opportunities to connect with the wider community (planned activities include sing-alongs and international folk dancing classes) 
• supporting the Albany Korean women's network (KWNNZ)
• supporting a Korean parenting programme – with assistance from the Police, Waitemata DHB, Albany Korean women's network, Korean Society of Auckland, the Korean Women's Association of NZ, TA