By Violet Li
Local charity Bakhtar Community Organisation is introducing a new strategy to make its essential workshop programs compulsory to facilitate the integration of newly arrived refugees.
The charity’s aid program provides material aid and integration programs such as cultural awareness sessions, employment pathway programs, and focus groups.
Founder and chief executive Bassir Qadiri said they had been conducting these free programs for almost four years and the only change was to make the integration programs compulsory for attendance before the members received the material aids.
“The demand has increased, and people’s expectations have increased. The reason we made this integration program is to integrate them into Australian society and also provide them with the opportunity to understand and learn about their rights and responsibilities,” he said.
“When they have rights, they need to understand they have responsibilities too. They can always receive our support, but this program will be compulsory for attendance.
“I think making this compulsory as we’re providing them the opportunity to integrate.”
Mr Qadiri also highlighted that the charity had resettled and supported over 6,000 newly arrived refugees in the past four years and had delivered over three million worth of essential aid to newly arrived refugees and those facing severe risk of homelessness.
“We had hundreds of workshops. We have supported jobseekers. We provided the work opportunity experience at our warehouse to learn to communicate, and learn customer service, especially when it comes to multicultural communities,” he said.
“We have the program where we have helped those in debt. We supported over 100 individuals paying off close to half a million worth of debt.
Mr Qadiri wanted to thank the volunteers for contributing hours to support the refugees.
“That’s why we want to have proper management, a smart way, a strategy so that we can integrate them as well because integration is more important for us rather than material,” he said.
“Material is a short-term need of the refugees that we are addressing, but integration is a long-term mission that we have.
“Making this program compulsory is going to empower the refugees to integrate into Australian society. It will promote harmony, acceptance, and embrace multiculturalism.”
