Category: Circle Stories

The Rapid Response for Refugees Circle (Circle 110) receives a number of referrals from specialised Refugee Support Agencies including STTARS (Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Service), Australian Refugee Association (ARA) and the Red Cross for immediate practical assistance and comfort to people who are very vulnerable and in desperate need. We are contacted as a last resort where the Support Agencies can’t find the necessary financial or practical support for clients. So we are aware of the need to provide immediate assistance.

Paul* is one of the people who has been referred to us. At the start of the year he had his application for a refugee visa refused and subsequently had his Centrelink income terminated. Paul is entitled to appeal the visa refusal and is currently doing so. However until the appeal is heard he has to live without any income. This appeal has been postponed by the Government twice now. Our circle has been supporting Paul for the past few months but is now finding it difficult to continue. If you can help please make a donation now using reference of “110 Paul”.

“Paul” who is also dealing with a chronic illness which requires ongoing medical supervision, lives on a budget of only $200 per week. He pays $130 rent, spends $10 on transport and puts aside $60 per week for food. Mobile phone and other costs come from a small emergency payment received monthly from an Aid Agency. Circle 110 has been providing the $200 per week but we are struggling to continue to meet this relatively small amount each week and meet all out other commitments.

We are looking for a few people who can contribute to his support until his appeal in June this year. All you have to do is use our secure Give Now donation page and with reference of “110 Paul.”

If things get better for Paul there will be an immediate update on this site and you can review your donation (subscribe to our News updates to receive email notifications of new news items). Amounts over $2 are tax deductible.

If you would like more information on this case contact us.

*name has been changed to maintain privacy and to ensure there are no impacts on his appeal for asylum.

In order to participate in competition this year, the Afghani Girls Volleyball teams need your support.  They have been up and running for some time, thanks to their dedicated coach, Rasoul Ahmady sourcing most of the necessary funds. However, this year, membership fees are still needed.

We need to raise $2680 to enable 3 teams to play in this 2019 season.

Apart from fitness, participation in sport improves individuals’ social and team skills while exposing young Afghan women to aspects of Australian culture and vice versa, with the consequent breaking down of barriers.
 
Tax deductible donations can be made via our secure GiveNow account. Please add referene of Circle 110 to ensure funds go towards this appeal.

Fifteen months ago this young women was sent to outer Adelaide from Nauru to give birth. She was sent without her husband and knew no one in Adelaide. A number of people from Circles of Friends, other support groups and their friends, have worked hard to ease this women’s journey into motherhood and settling into a foreign land all alone. Recently they were delighted to be able to turn this young Mum’s dream 1^st birthday party for her daughter into reality!

Finding pink and white balloons, sweets and candles, icing pink and white cakes, then pumping up 100 pink and white balloons are not normal Circle activities but it certainly generated lots of happy moments. And we now know many variations of “Happy Birthday”! Rest assured that donated funds were not used, only lots of Circle energy and imagination.

It was joyful for us to be able to take the time to celebrate a young life before returning to the more sombre Circles of Friends work of supporting refugees and asylum seekers in and around Adelaide who have no or very limited income and are not permitted to work. If you would like to support this work please consider a contribution to Circle 110, donating through our secure GiveNow account. We appreciate every donation small or large – they all contribute to directly helping someone in need.

Trish Dundon, Convenor Circle 110 (Rapid Response Circle)

With all the secrecy surrounding the plight of refugees and asylum seekers detained on Manus Island and Nauru it is difficult to know what is happening. So its great to have a resource like The Safe Harbour InfoBites to refer to. It provides snapshots of information regarding people seeking asylum, refugees and offshore processing of people on Nauru and Manus Island.

Maura who carefully compiled the information from a range of credible sources encourages you to read and share this information widely. The more who know the better! Download your copy here. Note though that the statistics quoted in the document are current as at January 2019 but are likely to change with some of the people detained on Manus Island or Nauru being shifted to PNG or Australia for medical treatment.

To find out more or take action here are some starting suggestions:

The Safe Harbour Project was launched on Monday 10 December at the Mary McKillop Plaza adjacent St Francis Xavier Cathedral. Coinciding with International Human Rights Day.

About 100 members of the public contributed to this first installation, each decorating a boat to symbolise their chosen message. The motif of a boat was chosen as a symbol of despair, hope and optimism. In the words of Rev Sandy Boyce who blessed the boats:

“Today we reclaim the boat as a symbol of safety for those fleeing danger. 
This boat need no longer be a political tool to stoke fear of those who take desperate measures to travel treacherous seas to reach our border.

This boat is a symbol of community, 
of people who find unity and purpose in their longing for freedom and safety;
This boat need no longer be a political tool to stoke fear of people who simply dare to imagine a safe harbour.

This boat reminds us of the people who have crammed into boats, placing themselves in the care of strangers and risking danger.
This boat need no longer be a political tool that stokes fear of people who bring different cultures, languages, traditions to this land; they enrich the fabric of our society in wonderfully diverse ways.”

This was the first public display of the boats. A series of interactive,” pop-up”  installations, featuring a much larger boat, as well as an increasing number of the small ones, will appear in and around the city from early January. The aim of the project is to change the conversation around refugees and people seeking asylum, and to put an end to off-shore detention. You can follow the Safe Harbor Project on Facebook: Safe Harbour Australia and  Twitter @aus_safe.  If you would like to be involved email Mij Tanith or phone on 0405 086 533.