Fostering integration dinner

After a series of five successful workshops as part of the Life Skills Series by the Muslim Women’s Welfare of Australia – the project wrapped up beautifully in the Networking Dinner held on the 14th of February 2020, a month after the last workshop of the series.

This networking dinner which gathered the workshop participants, demonstrators and MWWA volunteers and staff aimed to recognise and celebrate the achievements of all the women who were involved.

It was also an opportunity to give migrant women the opportunity to interact with community organisation representatives and VIP’s.

The Fostering integration dinner which is part of the ‘Life in Australia: The Path to Successful Migration’ initiative was funded by the Department of Home Affairs who collaborated with the Muslim Women’s Welfare of Australia to help women in the community have access to key skills and services that would help them navigate life in Australia.

The dinner launched with a soothing recitation from the Holy Qur’an with Miss Sara Kahil and was followed by a collective chanting of the Australian anthem led by Miss Mariam Saad.

To officially welcome the guests and give insight on the Life Skills Workshops and how it was part of Fostering Integration, Mrs Faten El Dana OAM and president of MWWA commended the women and expressed her joy at seeing all the guests gather together and the vision of MWWA come to life. She spoke about how the idea of the Life Skills Workshops 19-20 came to life and the process of putting the workshops together.

The attendees then watched a short video which combined snapshots of all the workshops, showcasing the fun experience that the attendees had but also the valuable information that they received.

It was with great pleasure that the MWWA welcomed Her Excellency, The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of NSW to the dinner to join the women in their celebrations. Ms Beasley kindly assisted Mrs El Dana in presenting the certificates to the participants in the project.

Other guest speakers who also assisted in presenting certificates included : Dr Anne Aly MP; Member for Cowan, representing the Federal Labor Leader Mr Tony Albanese, Ms Wendy Lindsay MP, Member for East Hills, Representing the Premier of NSW the Hon Gladys Berejiklian and also representing Mr Geoffrey Lee, Minister for Skills and tertiary education and acting Minister for Multiculturalism and Ms Julia Finn MP, Member for Granville and Shadow Minister for Consumer Protection, and Shadow Minister for Carers.

Three others guests were also invited to assist Mrs El Dana in presenting present certificates to the project participants: Ms Sneha Chatterjee, Regional Director NSW/ACT, Department of Home affairs, Councilor Nadia Saleh representing Canterbury – Bankstown Mayor Mr Carl Asfour and Sergeant Michael McClafferty From Liverpool Police PAC.

The ceremony ended with a thoughtful closing chant, performed by Mr Mahmoud Abboud and Miss Mariam Kheir, reflecting on the families and suburbs who have been affected by the recent bushfires in Australia.

MWWA would like to thank all the participants, the demonstrators and the MWWA staff and volunteers. Last but not least, a special thank you goes to the Home Affairs department for their generous support.