WISE Women 

Empowering former refugee and migrant background women is a key part of the WISE Collective project. For over six years, the project has supported over 1500 women through opportunities for education, employment, and enterprise, to help them achieve their needs, wants and aspirations.

WISE not only has supported many women through it’s different sessions, workshops and activities but also through it’s leadership, with staff and volunteers belonging to and reflecting the community they serve. The programme has provided many opportunities including the creation of the social enterprise WISE Catering, that built on the skills of women in WISE, providing them with an opportunity to share their cooking and baking talents in a way that shared their culture and enabled them to gain employment. 

With WISE as it’s foundation, the project has been redesigned with others, to create even better outcomes for women from migrant and former refugee background women called Kahika. The changes were reflective of not only the development and evolution of WISE but also of the women we work for.

Kahika 

Kahika programme aims to address the needs of marginalised migrant women who need viable pathways to progress their education, employment, and enterprise opportunities. A programme coordinator and five mentors supported women to complete a 12-week programme.

The Kahika programme was developed in response to Belong Aotearoa research findings on the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable migrant families and communities. The following research insights informed the programme design:

  • The pandemic had increased anxiety among vulnerable communities, negatively impacting their sense of financial security and social connectedness. Participants were anxious about the potential impact if the income-earner in their family lost their job.

  • A particular gap identified was marginalised migrants and forced migrant women who need viable pathways to progress their education, employment, and enterprise opportunities.

  • Women want to find new ways to develop and broaden their competencies and connections within a structured and integrated approach.

  • Current ready-for-work type programmes are more suited to people who have a greater grasp of English and are more socially connected.

The Kahika pilot included te ao Māori, leadership, employment preparedness and self-development. The programme ran for two days per week with participants attending workshops, group mentoring sessions, and undertaking self-directed learning toward achieving their individual goals.

15 migrant women participated.

 

Safari Project 

The first 1000 days of a child’s life is so important to setting the foundation for positive future outcomes, and through Safari, we’re able to support migrant and former refugee families as they create strong foundations. 

The Safari Project supports refugee and migrant mothers and children (0-5 years old) by providing playgroups for parents and children, that provide safe, culturally appropriate spaces to play, build connections and learn new skills and information.  In addition to providing opportunities for children to learn through play, it does address isolation by providing social support networks for mothers with young children, along with information about Aotearoa New Zealand and connections to the services that are available to families locally and nationally. Safari not only helps prepare children for school, but families for life in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“I have joined Safari after the first lockdown. I was referred by ATWC and they told me it’s a nice service. I was not sure how to manage to come with my 5 months old baby. But Safari playgroup leader explain it nicely how could I get in van there. This is an amazing service too. I could meet some mums here who can speak my language. Our English teacher support us very well. She teach me how to attend the parent teacher meeting. The TANI [Healthy Babies Healthy Futures] programme is amazing. I am very happy that I have joined Safari.”

“Safari is being very supportive. Programmes are designed to encourage the mums and kids to be active. Actually, Safari and the team is itself an encouragement for many families to come out of their home and join something fruitful. Last term we have received GBB delicacies and mums and kids enjoyed it a lot. Also the variety of new equipment are very good. My son loves the Mat time most. We wish Safari should support us for a long time.”