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News Bulletin September 2021
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Updates from our team
- Editorial - The many faces of lockdown
- Cultural Safety Trainings - Sexual and family violence mainstream services embrace tools to better support ethnic communities in Auckland and Northland
- Sexual Violence Prevention Initiatives - Ethnic groups leading community prevention projects across Aoteaora
- Shama's Open Day - An awesome day with the community
- Youth Programme - Ethnic Youth had a blast at weekend camp
What's on
- Positive Parenting Support available at any Covid level
- Find information and support during Covid
- Life Skills Classes are On Hold
- Parent Support Volunteering with Shama
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Editorial
The Many Faces of Lockdown
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Lockdown has brought to our times a completely different reality. We are asked to be at home, in our bubbles. For some people, this can be a relief as it means more time at home with family and a better work-life balance. On the other hand, it may also mean more stress trying to handle kids, work, while also dealing with what is happening around in our communities.
There are also people who are in bubbles of one, so these can be incredibly lonely times. People are getting really good at virtual meetings, and this has been a huge help for the computer literate. But some are not as comfortable with technology like zoom and Facebook, and so for them, lockdown can be incredibly isolating and hard.
There is also the longer-term challenge that we have been going through. For many of us, closed borders mean that we cannot visit our home country or have our families to visit us, and even if we may understand that it is necessary to manage the borders, it doesn’t mean that the distance hurts any less. If I’m expecting my first baby and my mum was going to come and help, and now she can’t, I would feel alone and life would feel that much more difficult to face.
So yes, Covid has disrupted our lives in so many ways.
On top of all that, global events - war and violence in Afghanistan and Palestine, extreme climate change in North America and Europe and other places around the world – makes watching the world news really stressful.
So it is not surprising that we may feel the weight of the world on our shoulders – or if we are feeling worried, scared, and helpless.
This is exactly when we need to look around for those little details that remind us that life still goes on, is still joyful and that there is always something to smile about.
The first flower on an empty tree, looking at your child after you finally had time to cook that treat they love, walking around empty streets, not having to feel guilty for just lying back, chilling, watching movies, reading books, or doing that project at home that you have been putting off for so long.
There is also support and help around; sometimes, we need to reach out and ask, and most times, you will find that people are happy to give a hand.
Because for all the worry that Covid has brought, it also reminds us that we need to look for those little things that bring us joy to nurture our souls and to remember that we are resilient. These times will pass. Even if we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel just yet. Let us be hopeful that we will once again meet our loved ones from around the world … right HERE in Aotearoa, and that when we do, we will be able to hug them and hold them … much closer than 2 metres.
And as one people, we will be wiser and stronger for what we have gone through.
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Cultural Safety Trainings
Sexual and family violence mainstream services embrace tools to better support ethnic communities in Auckland and Northland
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Last month, the Sexual Violence Crisis and Prevention Coordinators facilitated 4 Cultural Safety trainings to mainstream services. A total of 65 staff members participated in this trainings, delivered in Auckland - Papatoetoe & Manukau; and Northland - Keirkeri & Whangārei.
The trainings help staff members to become more confident when supporting ethnic survivors. Overall, the attendees expressed high levels of satisfaction with the service delivered and appreciated the contribution made by Shama to their professional and capacity development.
We worked in partnership with three agencies to deliver this trainings: Counselling Service Center; Multicultural Whangārei and Mid North Family Support. The practitioners who attended the training work for agencies such as Te Uri O Hau, Victim Support; Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police; VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai and Hauora Hokianga.
It was great to see how mainstream services are keen to better support our people.
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Sexual Violence Prevention Initiatives
Ethnic groups leading community prevention projects across Aotearoa
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On 7th of August, two members of our sexual violence team travelled to Christchurch to work with the Ministry of Ethnic Communities and Women 2 Women (W2W), a group of 100+ ethnic women that they coordinate. During the visit, Shama delivered a 6 hour workshop on the prevention of sexual harm to 20 of the W2W members (in the picture). The women who attended the workshop were from different ethnicities such as Japan, China, Afghanistan, Argelia, Congo, India, and Singapore. They are very active supporting their own communities to flourish in Aotearoa New Zealand. After the workshop the group will be working in two initiatives, one is a prevention of child abuse workshop to be delivered in different ethnic groups, the other is a video to support a healthy use of the phone and social networks that keeps teenagers safe from sexual harm.
Shama started the second cycle of prevention initiatives at the end of July, with a workshop in Wellington with Mituakiri. In this round, we will be working with 5 different ethnic groups in Christchurch, Palmerston North, Wellington, and Auckland. Most of the groups will receive a one day workshop on the prevention of sexual violence, and our ongoing support to develop a community initiative to prevent sexual violence from happening in the ethnic communities. Mituakiri uses an online platform to support Spanish speaking migrants to settle in Aotearoa New Zealand. The group is already working in the creation of animated content on the prevention of sexual harm. The work in prevention of sexual violence started last year, and Shama hopes are to continue motivating ethnic groups and communities to join the network of people working in the prevention of sexual harm within ethnic communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Shama's Open Day
An awesome day with the community
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What a great day we had on the 16th of August! Started early in the morning with a breakfast for funders, and continued in the afternoon with a community open day. We feel so thankful for all the support we received, our hearts are full, and our minds and hands ready for the mahi.
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Youth Programme
Ethnic Youth had a blast at weekend camp
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Positive Parenting support available at any Covid level
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Zola is available to meet with ethnic families who would like parenting support over lock down. These are 45 min sessions on Zoom offering Intercultural Positive Parenting coaching to deal with specific challenges or goals.
Contact Zola via email projects@shama.org.nz or phone 07 843 3810 to enquire.
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Ethnic Communities Vaccination Opportunities
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The Settlement Centre has held multiple vaccination clinics to immunise over 300 people against Covid-19. Their next session will be on Friday the 3rd September Text 027 700 6200 or email katem@hmstrust.org.nz to book your appointment.
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Here to Help U provides free wellbeing and social support during lockdown. No barriers, no judgement, and no stress. The website covers the community in Hamilton, South Waikato, Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty.
Since the current lockdown started Here to Help U has reached a significant milestone of supporting over 11,000 people.
Here to Help U has a free phone number 0800 568 273 to take messages for those who do not have Internet access. Provide name, contact phone number, where the help is needed (town or suburb) and give a brief outline of the help you need. The team will check messages regularly and return your call. If you are online you can click the button below and request assistance.
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Invitation to apply to fully-funded PhD in “Inter-Ethnic Racism and Ethnic Minorities in Aotearoa New Zealand”
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Applications from suitably qualified candidates are invited to undertake a fully-funded PhD in the topic area of ‘Inter-ethnic racisms and ethnic minority communities in Aoteaora New Zealand’. ‘Ethnic’ here is defined as non-Māori, non-Pākeha, non-Pacifika population groups in New Zealand, and commonly refers to peoples coming from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South and Latin America, and continental/Eastern Europe.
The scholarship is offered as part of a five-year MBIE-Endeavour funded research project entitled ‘Working to End Racism (WERO) in Aotearoa New Zealand’, based at the University of Waikato.
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Life Skills Classes in Term 3 are on Hold
We can't wait to see you again!!
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Our life skills classes for Term 3 are on hold and will be back at level 2 with social distancing and limited participant numbers.
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Volunteering with Shama as Parent Support
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Do you enjoy working with babies and toddlers and offering a little resting time to their mums?
Having a new baby is an exiting time but can be daunting experience if you are in a new country or community.
Are you friendly and happy to do home visiting service for isolated mums and families with new-borns for a few hours per week or on casual basis?
We are looking for volunteers who can provide childcare, companionship, and meaningful assistance to ethnic women/parents within Hamilton and nearby suburbs on a regular or a casual basis.
An orientation and a training will be provided at Shama.
If you know of ethnic families who would benefit form our parent support programme, please contact us.
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Volunteering is rewarding! When you volunteer with Shama you will meet a diverse range of ethnic women and their families. You will gain work experience, boost your CV and network with ethnic communities in contributing your valuable skills.
We have programmes happening soon and planned major events in the near future. A few examples are:
- holiday programmes
- female driving support
- events and fundraising support
Express interest in joining our volunteers programme by contacting us!
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