News
New Cross Cultural Advocate appointed in February this year Muigai Kimani was appointed. Muigai is a convention refugee from Kenya. He has a BA in Education and has 9 years experience in Community Development. His appointment was made possible by a grant from the Community Response Fund innovation section. He will provide advocacy for families in transition including those coming through family reunification
Another creative writing course after the highly successful course run last which resulted in a book of short stories being published, another course started in April. This second intake will spend 10 weeks learning how to write creatively so they can tell their personal stories or produce other short stories. It is hoped these stories will be published late in 2010. Earthless trees the first book of short stories by young refugees has sold over 1,000 copies.
New Board member Hanaa Al-Soudoun has joined the RAS Board. Hanaa from Iraq is a qualified high school teacher and has been helping with English classes run by MCLaSS in the Multicultural Services Centre.
Tamariki Kahukura - imported from Australia where it is known as the Rainbow programme for refugees in schools. Last year this programme was successfully piloted at te Aro school in Wellington. This year a second programme will be delivered at St Bernadettes school in Lower Hutt. It is for children 9-12 years of age and actively involves their parents.