Each year Refugee Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees while celebrating how the contributions of those from refugee backgrounds help make our community richer.
Refugee Week
The Greater Geelong region has been recognised as a ‘Refugee Welcome Zone’ since 2002 and welcomes hundreds of refugees every year as one of the primary settlement areas in Victoria for humanitarian entrants. This year’s theme, Healing, highlights the importance of learning from each other and drawing from our shared experiences to heal and move forward.
Every year, we celebrate World Refugee Day on June 20.
What is Mental Health?
A group of young people from culturally diverse backgrounds came together to tackle a challenging issue - what is mental health and how can we promote the availability of mental health services and supports to the diverse cultural groups in our region?
Under the guidance of artist Laura Alice, they created a short animated film featuring their artworks, words and voices. Translated into Arabic, Dari, Karen, Swahili and Tamil, the film received an Honourable Mention in the One-Reeler Short Film competition and has become a valuable resource for our region.
The project was a collaboration with Bluebird Foundation, Wellways, Western Victoria PHN, Cultura (formerly Diversitat) and the City of Greater Geelong.
Community stories
To celebrate Refugee Week, the City of Greater Geelong talked to community members from refugee backgrounds about their experiences, what they think about this year's Refugee Week theme, and what they do to help their mental health and wellbeing.
Alphonse Mulashe
Community stories
To celebrate Refugee Week, the City of Greater Geelong talked to community members from refugee backgrounds about their experiences, what they think about this year's Refugee Week theme, and what they do to help their mental health and wellbeing.
Helen Chernonok
Helen arrived in Australia two months ago after fleeing the war in Ukraine. She lives in Jan Juc, and she's being supported by the Ukrainian Community in Geelong and Cultura.
Keak Joak
Keak Joak's parents fled the war in South Sudan in the 1990s and resettled in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, where Keak was born.
Khin Khin Sumon
Khin Khin Sumon and her family resettled in Australia in 2012, following years of living in a refugee camp in Thailand. Khin Khin is a member of the Karen community in Geelong.
Mutheinchri Ra
Mutheinchri Ra lives in Geelong, and is of Karen and Karenni background. She kindly shared her reflection on this year's Refugee Week theme and her life in Geelong.
Nilu Bizhani
Nilu Bizhani arrived in Australia in 2017, after living in a refugee camp in Indonesia for four years. She lives in Geelong and is currently studying at Deakin University.
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