Resettlement SupportAdjusting to a new society is a difficult process for new settlers and often results in challenging dynamics for both individuals and families. These can often affect mental and emotional wellbeing. Our community liaison and navigation staff support people from refugee-like backgrounds who are new to New Zealand to settle well into their communities and learn skills to navigate systems and services.
NFACT provides wraparound emotional wellbeing and resettlement support to refugees and people from refugee-like backgrounds who are new to the country and receive very little support from any other organisation.
Programmes to Build ResilienceNFACT runs programmes and workshops to build people’s resilience, parenting skills, couple relationship strengthening and reduction of family violence. We have trained Triple P practitioners who are able to support parents, and we have trained staff in the Migrant Family Resilience programme. Along with our team of trained social workers, we are able to offer a variety of programmes and workshops tailored to the needs of people.
Leadership ProgrammesWe offer programmes designed to teach skills of independence, leadership, conflict resolution and effective communication. NFACT works to identify, upskill and nurture refugee-background women, men and youth who have the potential to become leaders and advocates in their own communities. We also support youth to enable them to become more independent and access employment, training or further education.
NFACT CreativeOur microenterprise programme, NFACT Creative, supports people to learn creative skills alongside business and financial skills. We offer pop-up locations and workshops for women to create products and upcycle fabrics into craft products to sell at markets or festivals (https://turningoldtogold.co.nz/). We work closely with people who wish to start their own business and help them to gain the necessary skills to do so. Contact Karen Newborn at karen@nfact.co.nz for more information.
Community GroupsWe run regular community-based groups for men and women. These groups aim to bring people together and facilitate discussions, raise awareness and share knowledge of specific topics. These groups create opportunities for people to be empowered through learning new skills and celebrate cultural identity and sense of belonging. Currently, we run women’s groups in Mangere and Wesley each week and a weekly men’s group in Wesley.
CounsellingWe have a counselling service to support people in their mental and emotional health needs. We have two staff who are trained counsellors and if needed, interpreters can be sourced for those who need it. We aim to offer a high-quality service which is free from discrimination, harassment, or coercion. For referral to our counselling service, please contact us on admin@nfact.co.nz
Volunteer Programme
Our volunteer programme is currently working to support the recently-arrived Afghan nationals. We have been able to work with volunteers within refugee communities to better support families - this is especially valuable when volunteers can speak the same language as the families they are supporting. The support the volunteers are currently providing include:
- Adjusting to life in New Zealand
- English as a Second Language (ESOL) support
- Connecting to social, educational and health services
- Social connections within refugee and wider communities
- Connections to other community groups and services
Our main aim with this programme is to build basic knowledge and skills in families to increase their independence and confidence.
Emergency Response
NFACT also supports the wellbeing of members of our communities going through challenging times by distributing face masks, food parcels, and other resources. Please reach out if you need support.
Community Events
We run a range of community events to bring people together to celebrate, learn from each other, learn about each other’s cultures, and increase community cohesion and connectivity.
See more on our Events page and follow us on our Facebook page for event details.
