Press Clippings 3

taken from CORK YOUR HOLE

By Kellee Nolan

YOUNG people are helping Melbourne’s Sudanese refugees to learn English, build confidence and make friends in an innovative new program.
Anna Grace Hopkins, 21 and Matthew Albert, 22, started the Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning program (SAIL) one year ago in Footscray.

Every Saturday, dozens of Sudanese children, teenagers and adults gather at Footscray All Saints Church to get help with their school homework and practice speaking, reading and writing English with tutors.

Matt and Anna Grace said as well as improving their English, the students were able to form friendships with each other and with their tutors.

“It’s priceless, absolutely priceless for the kids,’’ Anna Grace said. “For their self confidence it’s invaluable.’’

Since the program started it has grown from having one tutor to now having 75 tutors and from teaching five children to more than 100 people every week.

It also offers art and craft, cooking, drama and pre-school programs, excursions, a pick-up and drop-off service, has a books and games library and a computer home loan program.

Anna Grace was the first tutor and said she started SAIL because she loves children and wanted to be a primary school teacher. After hearing about the Sudanese community through the Melbourne University Student Union, she came out to meet five children who needed help with their English.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect but as soon as I came out and met the kids I knew I wanted to stay,’’ Anna Grace said. “I feel like a lot of refugee community assistance programs can be pretty meaningless and we tried to fill the gaps in the welfare net. The good thing about doing something like SAIL is it’s an extra net.’’
Together Anna Grace, Matt and All Saints Church Reverend Don Edgar have built the program up to its current levels.

Matt said it was unbelievably successful every week.
“I think the little things are what makes it a success,’’ he said. “The numbers are growing, there’s increasing support and people are happy.’’

Sudanese refugees are the fastest growing ethnic community in Victoria and Matt and Anna Grace said many SAIL students have survived horrendous circumstances.
“There’s a lot of rape, a lot of torture,’’ Matt said. “All of them have obviously fled their homes. Almost all of them have had to walk out of Sudan.”

Dalia, 16, has been coming to SAIL for about 10 months and is a year 10 student at Footscray’s Gilmore College. She lives in Spotswood with her mum and two sisters who left Sudan because of the war there. Dalia was born in Ethiopia and fled to Kenya and Egypt before settling in Melbourne almost two years ago.
She said SAIL was helping her in many ways.

“I would like to thank all the teachers for helping us to learn English and for being so kind to us,’’ she said. “I really like this program and I want to be here forever.”

*The Anna Wearne Trust is proud to have supported SAIL with a $2000 grant this year.
Food for thought

SAIL provides a cut lunch for its students each week with the support of Baker’s Delight. It is now looking for further food donations such as salad, snacks and drinks.

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