For almost twenty years, Waan (Junthip Pornpiriyakhun Tardif), VICSEG’s Werribee-based Refugee Mentor, has been busy blazing trails in the west.  

Having spent the previous decade in Sydney, Waan returned to her native Thailand following the terrible Boxing Day tsunami (2004) where her husband assisted recovery efforts.  

A year later, Waan returned to Australia, but this time to Melbourne where she re-established herself in Werribee, 32km south-west of the CBD. Without work, Waan took on a volunteer role in the local refugee resource centre. At the time, she had no idea this decision would sow the seeds for some of VICSEG’s proudest contributions to refugee settlement west of the city!   

“It was around this time, in 2005, that Australia started to accept a lot more humanitarian entrants recognized by the UNHCR”, Waan said.  

“Many of these were refugees who had come from camps in Burma and Thailand. Many of the Karen people had lived in these camps for up to 30 years. You had people who had grown up in the camps, married in the camps, raised children in the camps”. 

Suddenly, Waan’s language skills came to the fore. 

“I was born in Thailand but can speak four languages”.  

The list includes the language of the Karen people who comprised many of the newly arrived refugee settlers in the Werribee district.  

“In Sydney, I had already spent 8 years helping the Karen community there – people who needed my help going to the hospital, going to the doctors, things like that. I was basically their interpreter, literally translating information. Then John Zika approached me, and I became a Refugee Mentor with VICSEG. At that time, I didn’t even know what a mentor is!”  

It was unchartered territory for both VICSEG and Waan. Waan set about connecting with local services and supports in the west and gaining a stronger understanding of Australian systems.  

“There were a lot of obstacles for the Karen people settling in Melbourne, and a lot of discrimination that they faced. Really, in the beginning, I was navigating and growing with the refugees I was supporting. A lot of the things were unfamiliar to me too. I didn’t know much about getting a job or how to connect to the job network. I didn’t know that children are supposed to go to kindy when they’re four. I didn’t drive at all at that time, and I did not even know how to catch public transport.” 

Despite these challenges, Waan refocussed on the strengths she could bring to her newfound role.  

“By that time, I already had my own children. And I had already studied Early Childhood Education and Care in Sydney. So, I knew how to look after children, that’s one thing. I read again through all my responsibilities as a Refugee Mentor and thought I could run a playgroup – how that could be or real benefit to families. So, we worked together with the Wyndham council and introduced the first ever playgroup to the refugee communities”.  

With the first playgroup now approaching, Waan faced yet another challenge:  

“Because I’m new to Melbourne myself, I didn’t know where all the refugee families were living, and how to reach them. So, I had to learn quickly – how to engage, how to connect, and bring in people by word of mouth.”  

Waan’s efforts paid off. 

“We started with five families. The next week there were ten families. And a month later, we had to run two separate playgroups each week”.  

In the time that has passed, Waan has been proud to see these playgroups flourish. Refugees from other cultural and linguistic backgrounds have since settled in the district, with new playgroups established to meet their needs. The earlier pilot programs won awards from state government. The communities themselves have grown in confidence and skills on their ongoing journey towards feeling fully settled.  

Waan, too, has never stopped growing. Her skills and interests have diversified. She now spends her time between VICSEG, Wyndham City Council, and Wyndham Park Community Centre.  

“Recently, just during COVID time, Wyndham City Council ran training on mentoring through its community development program – how to mentor your friend, or neighbour, or community. And then I thought, ‘wow, I’ve been a mentor for fifteen years, and now this program has just been developed!’”

“I think the most rewarding part of working with VICSEG is how we are challenged to keep refreshing ourselves – to keep updated with new skills and to keep up to date with changes in the systems we work in. It’s real rewarding, and I’ve been constantly equipped with new knowledge, from homelessness to employment support, volunteer coordination, pregnancy, child-rearing practices, and community development. I’ve had the best experiences and have never stopped learning with VICSEG”.