Cringila Women’s Futures

Wrap-up and Review of last 10 weeks –

Participants worked in pairs and created a Mind Map of Achievements over the past 10 weeks – in both the computer training and the Women’s Futures Group.  All present agreed that we had achieved all of our learning goals.

Reflection/Evaluation of Project
 

V – I have learned/built a lot of confidence.  I’ve met great people and learned where and how to look for a job.

V – it’s been great confidence building, I learnt a lot about computers and being with other people.
M – I have made new friends, and learned how to work together with people, using a computer and the internet, and learned about different cultures.
W – I learned a lot about the computer; improved my English; met a lot of nice people; I learned how to look for a job.
M – I am happy because I am here and learning about computers; improving my English and I feel nice when I listen to other people.

Thankyou to Shannon Wright, Community Worker with Illawarra Women’s Health Centre at Warilla.  Shannon facilitated a very warm and friendly Self Esteem Workshop.  Highlights included -

What is Self Esteem?
 

• Being comfortable with people
• How you feel with yourself – happy
• Being honest with yourself
• Part of who you are

What makes you feel good?

• Personal achievements
• When we hear good news
• Learning something new
• Appreciation
• When kids are good
• When kids are healthy and happy
• Helping others

Facilitator – “Self Esteem is about finding the balance inside you and outside you.  Self Esteem inside you comes from the way you talk to yourself.”

What is something that I am Proud of?  What are you proud of from inside and outside yourself?
M – I feel proud because I am raising three kids as a single parent – I got my driver’s licence a month ago – Green P’s.
R – I feel proud when I’m helping the family.  For myself – to come into the Women’s Futures Group and learn and feel good and learning computers.
W – same.
F – I am proud that I got to see my Dad and family overseas.
M – I am proud of cooking for the family and that I have friends – we look after each other.
M – I am proud of helping other people – volunteering in the community.
V – I am proud of my children and that they love school because my parents didn’t allow me to have that.  And I’m proud that I’m being a good Mum.
R – I am proud of myself….working with children in a child care centre….I came to Australia without a word of English and got an education and was able to work.

Reflection/Evaluation -

What one word describes your experience of today’s workshop?
V – eye opening
M – motivating – learning for self – freedom
M – friendly and strong
W – excited
M – fulfilled
S – fun, energised

Feedback from the Group on Developing Career Action Plans
M – “when I was growing up in Albania I did not have the education that I would have liked to have and since coming to Australia I have been busy with children.  I’m very interested in learning and in helping my children learn.  Future possibilities:  helping others – child care or nursing home.
Goal:  to find out about the range of employment options that are available.

V – Goal –
Medium Term Goal:  To work for an organization in Turkey as a Tour Guide.
Long Term Goal:  To set up my own tour guiding business in Turkey.

W –
Goal:  To obtain employment as a teacher in Australia
Goal:  To obtain qualifications as an interpreter for Arabic speaking people in Australia.

L –
Goal:  To complete a computer course to become more employable.

M -

Goal:  To gain employment in a Community Child Care Centre or Preschool.

Reflections from our Guest Speaker Session 28 August 2006

• Mervat Abdel Karin - Community Worker – Illawarra Muslim Women’s Association
  for people without English – they feel very lost when they come to Australia – learning the language is very important to be able to move on.  Mervat was a very motivated lady and had the language – she was very emotional telling her story;
• Mervat had to try hard – it took willpower;
• accent very hard to understand;
• Mervat was very honest – sadness leaving Egypt – her compassion for others;
• we need to accept others for what we are;
• very valuable;
• inspiring.

Continuing Creating a Personal Vision – The Flower a Picture of the Job of your Dreams – (What Colour is Your Parachute Workbook, Bolles, R.N.) For the participants who were not present in Week 5 – 21/8/06 –

Participants shared three stories from their past about things they did just because they were fun, or because they gave a sense of adventure or a sense of achievement.  This process aimed to identify participants favourable transferable skills in order of priority or importance.  Each story to be something you did at work, or in school or at play and can be from any time period in your life. 
 

The facilitator asked each participant which story had the strongest impact for them and asked a series of open questions to ‘tease’ out the favourable transferable skills. 
 

L -

Story 1 – travelling when younger, saved money and wasted – Greek Islands, fun, riding Mopeds

Story 2 - everyone getting together at Christmas time

Story 3 - Dental College – graduating – Dental Therapist – working with children

M -

Story 1 - Travel to Gold Coast, Dreamworld, Sea World, Movie World – enjoying with son

Story 2 - helping others – on Tuesday cook for family, love the cooking

W –

Story 1 - when friends come over, talk together, have tea with some sweet thing
Story 2 - talking with neighbour or family, watching TV with children, learning more English
 

M -

Story 1 - When Mum came out from Peru - I was very happy

Story 2 - I feel happy working with people, being busy - both older people and children.  I feel a lot of empathy for older people but I’m most happy working with children and organizing activities.

Skills from the stories –

W – teaching parenting skills, communicating with others, teaching Arabic, (recognition through NATTAI in the future)

W – teaching parenting skills, communicating with others, teaching Arabic, (recognition through NATTAI in the future)
 M – parenting, budgeting, learning to be independent
 L – communication skills, working independently, working with children

M - working with people, working with children, Speaking Spanish, Reading, Writing & Speaking English, Computer Skills for the Office (maybe obtain recognition through NATTAI in the future)

Guest Speaker 

Our Guest Speaker from a multicultural background was Mervat Abdel Karin who is originally from Egypt.  The participants asked a series of open questions in turn and this was a very informative session for everyone.  Highlights include -  

• Where did you grow up? 
• In Egypt - it was like Australia is now pre 1950 
• I learned English at High School plus French 
• What was your first job in Australia? 
• Working as a receptionist at Illawarra Multicultural Services in Wollongong 
• What kind of work do you now? 
• I’m a Community Worker working with the Muslim community for Illawarra Muslim Women’s Association based in Cringila.  We have excursions, markets, English classes.  Every Thursday we have at 10am Exercise Classes; 11am we have a Professor from Canberra University teaching English Conversation 
• Also a Computer Laboratory – all women are welcome to use this facility.  The Computer Lab is available for all women to use Mondays all day, Thursdays after 12, 
• What qualifications do you have now? 
• Diploma/Certificate IV Community Welfare 
• Why did you apply for the job you have now? 
• In Egypt I had a Commerce and Foreign Trade Degree – worked in a Bank – a Degree qualification from University of Cairo.  I didn’t work in Australia till the kids grew up.  We moved from Sydney 2 years ago to Wollongong area. 
• I originally Volunteered at Illawarra Muslim Women’s Association and was successful in gaining employment with IMWA. 

Reflection from last meeting – Guest Speaker – South Coast Labor Council
Participants reflected –
“Joanne told us about the changes in the new laws, new system of rights for employers and employees – the rights of employees are less than under the previous system.”
 

Creating a Personal Vision – The Flower a Picture of the Job of your Dreams – (What Colour is Your Parachute Workbook, Bolles, R.N. )

Participants shared three stories from their past about things they did just because they were fun, or because they gave a sense of adventure or a sense of achievement.  This process aimed to identify participants favourable transferable skills in order of priority or importance.  Each story to be something you did at work, or in school or at play and can be from any time period in your life. 
 

The facilitator asked each participant which story had the strongest impact for them and asked a series of open questions to ‘tease’ out the favourable transferable skills. 
 

V –
Story 1 – Working at a Retirement Village
 Story 2 – Workshop Illawarra Muslim Women’s Association
 Story 3 – Travelling to/from Turkey – This story had the strongest impact for V.  Key transferable skills – Organizing travel; knowing travel networks/connections; familiarity with Turkey/Istanbul; Bi-lingual – English & Turkish.
 

V –
Story 1 – Teaching English house to house – Key transferable skills - meeting different nationalities; meeting interesting different people
 Story 2 – 2^nd hand shop – customer service
 Story 3 – Welfare – Working with Children attending Court
 Story 4 – Gardening – This story had the strongest impact for V.  Key transferable skills – Knowledge of Gardening; Knowledge of Customer Service; Knowledge of Roses.
 

Thankyou to our Guest Speaker, Joanne Kowalczyk, President, South Coast Labor Council for an informative Workshop on ‘Legal Changes to the Workplace’.

Participants learned about -

• Australian Workplace Agreements and
• What you need to check before you sign an AWA
• Where you can go to find more information

Resources include -

• Unions
• South Coast Labour Council (SCLC) - www.sclc.com.au
• Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) helpline 1300 362 223 or the Your Rights at Work website - www.yourrightsatwork.com.au
• Government
• NSW Department of Industrial Relations - www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au
• Office of the Employment Advocate - www.oea.gov.au
• WageNet - www.wagenet.gov.au - federal awards or agreements
• Other
• Legal Aid NSW - www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au
• Illawarra Legal Centre, 7 Greene Street, Warrawong - 4276 1939 or www.illawarralegalcentre.org.au

Relaxation/creative visualisation – the facilitator lead a relaxation/creative visualization to prepare participants for creating the beginning of their Personal Vision.

Beginning to Create a Personal Vision
Participants worked together and discussed the highlights from their relaxation/creative visualization.
 

1. Participants developed their own Personal Vision using art paper, drawing a circle divided into quarters and using the four questions –
2. What are the things you really enjoy doing
3. What brings you happiness/joy
4. What are the two best moments of my past week
5. What are three things I’d do if I won the lottery or I suddenly had a lot of money?

Reflection from today’s activities –
(Note:  some participants had to leave early owing to child care responsibilities)
V – feeling well; good company – two things I learned today – computers – internet & word processing; and “how to mix with different nationalities”.  (Conversation at morning tea in the computer training about how everyone else lives – discussion re what we did on Sunday)
W – good, excited, happy – two things that I learned today – computers – wordprocessing.
P – everyone is caring for someone – parents for children and grandparents for grandchildren; everyone in this group is very self directed.
 

Group Introductions – Where were you from originally; share two things you enjoy doing and what are your hopes for the future?

 F – I’m originally from Macedonia – live in Port Kembla; I enjoy my garden, decorating – in the future I want to buy a house and find a good job – decorating/interior design.
 M – I’m originally from Peru, South America – I’ve been in Australia for 12 years – I have two boys and I’m married – I enjoy craft, making cards – in the future I want to find a job – office work and travel overseas.
 V – I’m from Turkey – came here in 1971 – divorced – 2 children – I enjoy bookscrapping with friends, spending time with parents – now back from Turkey and in the future I hope to move to Queensland and travel.
 M – Moved here from Kogarah – married twice; divorced twice; 3 children; 1 girl living in the US and 1 girl living in Dubbo; boy suicided.   I do Volunteer work, cooking, crocheting, knitting and enjoy watching movies.
 

Group Introductions -

Introductions – “I’m Petre, I live in Kiama and I enjoy gardening and reading.  In the future I hope to travel to France and Italy.
                                                      
L – I live in Primbee, I have two children and I enjoy gardening, travel…in the future I hope to travel to France.
 

W – I live in Wollongong, I’m from Libya, and I enjoy talking with my family and husband; reading and in the future I want to be a teacher in Australia.
 

Ja – I have two kids; I love to travel and in the future I want to travel in a campervan around Australia.  In the future I want to be a teacher’s aid.
 

J – I have two kids a boy and a girl 9 and 7 going to Cringila Primary School.  I’m married and my husband has his own business…..collecting rubbish/lawn mowing/handyman…he can give free quotes…..in the future I want to fix my house up and get a part time job.
 

R – I’m from Italy, I have three children…all married…seven grandchildren…I’m working in Child Care two days a week; I would like to travel to see my family in Italy….I enjoy swimming, walking and reading.
 

V – I have six daughters…..I enjoy gardening, reading and meditation.  I have travelled overseas and I would like to go to the Greek Islands.
 

Reflection at the end of session 1

• Happy that we are able to express ourselves
• Getting encouragement
• Continue to be able to solve problems and become more assertive
• Like speaking with other women and making different friendships
• Totally enjoyed the group and I can go home and feel a little bit relieved – everyone listening to me
• I liked coming here and having a day out instead of cleaning
• I’m enjoying the group – I feel more comfortable now