Updates from our team
- The SuperSHEro Within - Achieving dreams
- Making Ethnic People Count in the Sexual and Family Violence Services
- Recognising Our Awesome Volunteers
What's on
- Join our Free Self-Defence Class
- Have your say on the Family Violence and Sexual Violence National Strategy
- Shama's Holiday Programme: Registrations are open now
- Adult Learning Opportunities
- Volunteering Opportunities
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The SuperSHEro Within - Achieving Dreams
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Last year, coming out of the first Covid Lockdown we dreamed big. We dreamed up a Self Confidence project “SuperSHEro”. A programme that creates strong and confident wahine, that helps women to find their inner strength and help quieten the niggly voice in our heads that continues to stop us from being the best version of ourselves.
The project has proven to be a success and so far we hosted 10 workshops, with around 28 women attending each month.
Through these workshops we have met a wonderful bunch of ladies. The age of participants ranged from 12 years old to 82 years old, and originated from Phillipines, Latin America, Middle East, Europe, Pacific Islands, China, Japan, Korea, India and Maori.
Our lifecoach Sarah “Mothercoacher” has been amazing in providing us with great content, we hosted 10 workshops with different topics, each workshop stood on their own and provided tools to increase confidence, stress management and resilience. Each workshop had a dedicated workbook that was exclusively created by Sarah and each participant was able to take the workbook home to reflect on the learned tools and implement any learnings.
The immense positive feedback from the participants was such an encouragement. The enjoyment and value they got out of the workshops, the positive feedback and improvements visible to their confidence has been such a wonderful part of this project. The subtle improvements to their confidence and wellbeing, the increased resilience due to learned tools, have made a real impact in their lives.
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Comments from Participants
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“Having attended most, if not all of the workshop in SuperSHEro is a big achievement for me & I am proud of myself for taking the step and effort to attend. Every single workshop is well thought of, organised, very helpful and broken down into chunks that works out to be more applicable to our daily life than one general thought but “scattered”. The time is well-planned – making me not wake up too early on the weekend, too. The organisers have incorporated cultural sensitivity, approachability, empowerment and value. All the speaker have been of great source of knowledge, inspiration & have emulated outstanding examples in life that I surely will look up to & will apply in my journey to a better me – a superSHEro in my own sense. I thank you for this wonderful series of workshops which has enabled me as well to meet people & learn from every single Supershero who took part. “ - Filipina, 37
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"Why I decided to join: Because it is targeting self care and self love, an area that not many people or activity around Hamilton offer and it is free. Usually these workshops are very expensive" - Sana, 42.
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"I really liked all the topics, it gave me time to reflect and taught me step by step how to achieve goals and evolve myselft and self growth. I enjoy coming to workshops and listening to group discussions. I always look forward to workshops." - Indian, 28.
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Final Session - Celebrating the SHEro Within
When: 10th July, 10.30am to 2.30pm
Where: Wintec Gallagher Events Room 1
Cost: Free
Lunch is provided (dietary options available)
For question or to register email Jen on supportworker@shama.org.nz.
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Making Ethnic People Count in the Sexual and Family Violence Services
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In May, Shama's Sexual Violence team delivered three “Making Ethnic Count” workshops. During the trainings we discussed the importance of including questions about ethnicity, country of origin, language, and visas when delivering crisis services for ethnic clients. We also worked in strengthening knowledge and skills on the service providers regarding how to ask these questions. These workshops built in the previous Cultural Safety training workshop designed and delivered by our team. They were also part of the pilot project that Shama is developing with the support of Ministry of Social Development to improve the way organisations working with sexual violence survivors engage with ethnic clients and record the information about them.
The training was delivered with 10 staff members from Single Parenting Services Waikato, 9 from the Shama team, and 16 people from Auckland Help. The trainings were delivered by the same lead facilitator and different co-facilitators at each of the organisations participating on the pilot project, two in Hamilton and one in Auckland.
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As part of the trainings the team developed pre-training surveys and post training surveys. The pre-training surveys reflected that it was easier for service providers to ask questions about ethnicity and harder about religion, language, and visas. The post-training surveys mainly reflected an increased awareness on the importance of asking all these questions in a client centered and culturally safe practice. The post-training survey also reflected an increased intention to ask these questions, changing from 35% to 100%.
In the coming months Shama will be collecting information about ethnicity, language, religion and visas from the three organisations participating in the pilot project. This has been possible because the pilot project included ongoing support for making database changes that will support a better data collection system across the sexual violence sector. Shama hopes to have other organisations joining this process after the pilot is finalised at the end of the year. We also hope that the project supports the development of culturally safe sexual violence services across Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Recognising our Awesome Volunteers
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A sincere thank you to Shama volunteers! We couldn't do it without you. On 24 June we had the volunteer appreciation lunch where we thanked our amazing volunteers with yummy food and some gifts.
This year we nominated our Board of Trustees, active in 2020, for the Volunteering Waikato Excellence Awards. Trustees provide governance for Shama, and strategic leadership to ensure best possible outcomes for the ethnic women we serve.
We also honoured our lifeskill classes tutors, who patiently teach participants English, sewing, cooking and to use computers. A shout out especially to Loga Naidoo who has been with us for more than 10 years.
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Also, thank you to the caring childminders who ensure children are safe and supervised while their parents are taking part in some of our programmes. Event hosts who welcome the community always with friendly and helpful outlook.
To show our appreciation we were able to gift volunteers items from Bunnings Warehouse, Living Nature and Trade Aid. Thank you to all our sponsors for your generosity!
To our volunteers, all your contribution is greatly appreciated. Thanks for all that you do!
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Have your say on the Family Violence and Sexual Violence National Strategy
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The Government is partnering with communities to create a new National Strategy and Action Plans to eliminate family violence and sexual violence in Aotearoa New Zealand.
From May 12, special community-led hui involving communities with lived experience of family violence and sexual violence are being held all around New Zealand, asking people to consider: What do you think needs to be in a National Strategy and Action Plan, from your communities’ point of view?
At the same time, you can tell us what you think should be done to eliminate family violence and sexual violence, by filling out an online survey on Citizen Space, a safe and confidential online platform hosted by the Ministry of Justice.
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Shama Life Skills Classes in Term 3
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Our next term starts in July.
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Interested in Joining the Volunteer Programme at Shama?
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We are currently looking for volunteers for our holiday programmes. Please find the link below to our Volunteering Waikato Advertisements:
Multicultural Holiday Programme Support
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