Former refugee proud to help new arrivals

Refugee Week is a celebration of the positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society.

Since the end of World War II, more than 750,000 refugees and others in humanitarian need have been resettled in Australia – among them Minoo Jizan.

A member of the Mandean community, Ms Jizan left Iran 10 years ago and moved to Sydney with her family. Keen to adapt to her adopted homeland and build a new life, she spent her first years in Australia improving her English language skills.

“I remember how hard it was for me and my family to live in Australia because we did not know English and especially Australian life,” she recalls.

“I tried hard to learn English – I would read newspapers, watch TV, have lots of conversations with people and practise by writing shopping lists and letters…. I was never embarrassed to ask questions and I that helped me succeed.”

Ms Jizan is now a volunteer tutor with Mission Australia’s Home Tutor Scheme and Enhancement Program in Sydney. As part of her role, she visits students’ homes once a week and tutors them in English and also provides information about community services that can assist the resettlement process.

"I would really like to thank the Home Tutor Scheme for giving me this opportunity and allowing me to make life easier for migrants and refugees,” Ms Jizan said. “It’s also made me more interested in learning other languages like Arabic, and Afghani, which makes it easier for me to communicate with learners.”

Mission Australia Team Leader Mina Zolfaghari said approximately a third of the Home Tutor Scheme’s students were refugees, mainly from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Last year 80 per cent of people who participated in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship program in the west and south-west of Sydney were women, and the dominant first language was Arabic.

“It’s so rewarding to see former refugees like Minoo giving a helping hand to others who are trying to establish a new life in Australia,” Ms Zolfaghari said.

As of 1 July, Mission Australia will recruit and train volunteer Home Tutors to teach English in the following regions of Sydney: Blacktown, the Outer West, Central West, Fairfield/Cabramatta, inner Sydney (including the CBD), eastern and southern Sydney, Inner West, Canterbury/Bankstown and Liverpool.

For more information please call (02) 9635 1543 or email zolfagharim@missionaustralia.com.au

Media coverage - Blacktown Sun: A chance to assist migrants

People who want to help new migrants settle in Australia should do what Sarah Cullen, 27, of Blacktown, did.

Ms Cullen is a Mission Australia Home Tutor Scheme volunteer who has been tutoring Manizha Zaki from Afghanistan in English for four years.

"I have learnt a lot from Manizha and gained a wonderful friend," she said. "Watching her English skills develop has been inspirational.

"When I first met her, she could barely say 'hello' and 'goodbye,' let alone hold a conversation. She can now speak English on the phone, make appointments, use public transport and even apply for jobs.

"I work full-time with Josephite Community Aid in Seven Hills, but the commitment to the Home Tutor Scheme is only one to two hours a week and the time I spend with Manizha is well worth it."

Ms Cullen has benefited by picking up practical knowledge, including recipes for Afghani dishes.

Manizha Zaki praised Ms Cullen's tutoring and said they had become good friends.

Mission Australia's Home Tutor Scheme team leader Mina Zolfaghari said the service played a crucial role in helping new Australians settle here successfully and contribute to their communities.

"Not knowing our national language can be a huge barrier in settling into Australian life," she said.

"Imagine not being able to make a doctor's appointment for a sick child or buy a train ticket."

To become a volunteer or for more information, call 9635 1543.

Story and image courtesy of The Blacktown Sun

Read a recent media release from MA to find out more about Mission Australia's Home Tutor Scheme.