CALD Communities Taskforce – Priority Response to Multicultural Communities

AFPSS was funded by the Department of Premier and Cabinet Victoria to address immediate needs in CALD communities impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. AFPSS delivering the following activities for South Sudanese, Burundian and Congolese individuals and their families:

  • Food relief to support up to 45 families.
  • Mental health and family wellbeing support (recruitment and facilitators) aim to reach out to about 50 individuals (parents and youth) remotely on the phone and Zoom/Microsoft and deliver at least 6-10 sessions. The family wellbeing sessions will include positive parenting strategies (managing stresses and children behaviours/disciplining), home education, including general wellbeing and coping techniques during the COVID-19 lockdown and beyond.
  • Delivery of key messaging (Sudanese Arabic, Kiswahili, Dinka, Nuer) about the importance of getting tested, if they have symptoms or are asymptomatic and staying home, delivered via the phone and/or Zoom/Microsoft Teams in the languages they understand.

Building Digital Skills Round 25

As we are moving to a digital world, particularly during the lockdown, we need to remain connected digitally, and AFPSS recently received small funds to address the lack of digital literacy skills in seniors of the African community. After the current Victoria lockdown is lifted, we planned to deliver digital literacy sessions for senior participants (50yr) to help them gain these vital skills.

Family wellbeing/parenting program

AFPSS has delivered a family wellbeing/parenting program in collaboration/partnership with Wyndham Community and Education Centre. We provide parents/caregivers and other family members information and skills related to:

  • Developing online training materials for the parenting program
  • Parenting in general and more specifically in the Australian context
  • Intergenerational communication and managing family relationships
  • Linking to family wellbeing community service providers and
  • One-on-one individual coaching/parenting support, such as managing children behaviours, among other social/emotional support