Enabling a child to grow is everyone's concern but the power of the mother is significant

Author & Speaker

Koos Mohamed Ali

Organisation

Hutt Valley Health DHB Lower Hutt

Objective

The purpose of this presentation is to identify the challenges that children of refugee communities face. The presentation will particularly focus on young girls and their mothers. Although the presentation will come from a personal perspective of the Somali community it is reflective of all refugee communities. From the framework of challenges, the presentation will identify possible solutions at a family, community and society level to ensure that refugee children have the same opportunities to maximise their potential as their Kiwi neighbours.

Method

The presentation will reflect qualitative perspectives, there being little research in this area. Personal, professional and community experience will inform the presentation and will be focussing on the quality of life and future of children from refugee backgrounds and their primary care-givers – mothers. Much of this information will come from a review of health needs of refugee communities in the Hutt Valley and also from participation on the Somali Council and Change makers Forum (a consultant agency for refugee issues)

Results

The impact of the issues faced by children will be reviewed from the perspective of the facilitation or debilitation of the development of the child. The conclusions will focus on the ways and means of effecting change at the family, community and society levels to ensure that children who came to New Zealand as refugees maximise their potential as Kiwis of the future.

Conclusions:

Children of refugee backgrounds will not flourish under current circumstances.

Presentation

Biography

I arrived in New Zealand as a refugee in 2001 having been moved from Somalia to Kenya where I stayed for 7years and speak 5 different languages. My secondary 'O' Levels were taken in Kenya, but having always been committed to my dreams, I joined Waikato University to study double majors in Psychology and Sociology.

In 2004 I moved to Wellington with my daughter Zarina and at the end of 2004 assumed the role of Project Worker for Refugee Health at Hutt Valley DHB. At the present time, I am full time mother, full time Project Manager and part-time student.

I have come from a background where women have little if any control over their dreams to an environment where there are more options for women. I am therefore committed not only to making a difference to the lives of girls and their mothers from refugee communities so that they can contribute to the society in the way they choose, but also enable them to bring a different dimension to their host country. I am in the process of achieving my dreams and enabling my daughter to do the same and see this as a human right.