4. It made a difference to that one…
The starfish story
It made a difference to that one…

5. Where is Ahamadabad?

6. Ahamadabad The smallest Lasallian school in Pakistan
All students come from very poor families
Parents are generally earning daily wages working as road workers, labourers, garbage pickers, or domestic servants
The school has seven female teachers and two support staff.
Since 2010, enrolments have increased to 165.

7. Ahamadabad Students
Almost 50% of the students are too poor to pay the PKR200 (A$2.48)/month school fees
School is reliant on a subsidy from La Salle High School Multan
They also receive donations of secondhand stationery, learning resources, uniforms, sports equipment, computers and text books from La Salle Multan
Situated on Brothers-owned land on the outskirts of Multan

8. Ahamadabad 2016 Needs met by ANZ Schools:
Support for school fees and teachers salaries
New classroom furniture
Text books and learning resources
Repair of student toilets
Fixing the access road to improve student and staff safety

9. Ahamadabad 2016 needs completed:
Repairs and painting of the school building

10. Ahamadabad 2016 needs still under construction: New Principal’s office
Three additional classrooms
Staff toilets

11. 2016 Pakistan support from St Johns Dandenong
Learning equipment, materials, stationery
Teachers salaries
Teaching resources
Areas of greatest need e.g. clean drinking water, classroom furniture

12. 2017 request to St Johns Dandenong
Purchase a school vehicle
= A$15,000

13. “I made a difference to that one…”
The starfish story
“I made a difference to that one…”

15. Wellsprings for Women

16. Quick Facts
Established in 1994 as a drop in centre for isolated, vulnerable women
Grew in response to identified needs of women in Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia
90% of women are from migrant and refugee backgrounds a mixture of newly arrived, long established, and increasingly more asylum seekers
About 260 women attendances per week across programs
We employ 6.5 EFT or 13 staff
70 volunteers

17. Programs English Literacy Computer literacy
3 levels
English conversation
Computer literacy
Learning to Live in Australia
Prevention of Violence Against Women
Respectful Relationships
Parenting in a new culture
Healthy eating
Productive Living in Australia
Sewing
Home visitation
Mentoring
Home work support
Volunteering
Art and Craft
Painting
Choir
Zumba
Yoga
Line Dancing

18. Challenges for Wellsprings Women
Residual settlement needs
Isolation
Language proficiency
Lack of education
Lack of knowledge and understanding of the service systems and how to access them
Poverty
Mental health
Trauma (pre-migration, family violence, post migration)
Unemployment
Parenting in a new culture
Relationships conflict
Lack of capacity for self-reliance

19. Strengths of wellsprings women
Resilience
Motivation to build a better future for their children
Eager to learn and engage with broader society
Empathy
Living frugally
Environmentally aware as they minimise waste
Appreciative of Australian system of governance and protections
Generous in sharing their own knowledge and skills from home country

20. Our Approach Empowerment of women through: Education Information
Awareness raising
Skill acquisition
Consultations
Advocacy
Group and one on one support
Robust referrals
Holistic approach
Trauma informed-care
Providing a safe environment
Child friendly environment

21. How St John’s Regional College Can help
Every year St John’s Regional College supports Wellsprings with fundraising during Making a Difference Month.
In 2016 we received: $11,608.37
The money raised contributed to the Productive Learning in Australia
Program

22. Productive Learning in Australia
Based on the principle:
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for one day, Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”

26. Where to from here
We need to build on the PLA program and raise resources to take the women to the next step. In order to make their products more marketable we need to engage:
Professional designers
Experts at marketing and branding
Train the women in business skills
Build partnerships with business sector
Source business mentors for the women to support their journey and goals to become economically independent