A program to help refugees feel welcomed and connected in their new home has relaunched in Sydney with the opening of a new communal garden.
Freedom to Flourish assists refugees with language integration as well as counselling to address issues of any trauma they may have experienced during their time of statelessness.
Psychology student and volunteer Reese Hopper, 24, said Freedom to Flourish helped refugees settle in and make friends.
“We do gardening alongside mental health projects to help refugees work through any trauma they’ve experienced,” Mr Hopper said.
Mr Hopper stressed the importance of the integration of refugees into Australian society.
“It’s a massive thing for refugees to feel a sense of belonging,” he said.
“A lot of the time these refugees are leaving horrible situations of war or poverty.
“They come to another country and do not have connections.”
Freedom to Flourish helps refugees build connections and strengthen cooperative bonds.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Nine news that immigration plays a vital role in Australian life.
“It’s important that we value our multiculturalism, we celebrate it and we cherish it,” he said.
Freedom to Flourish was first established five years ago by the World Evangelisation for Christ and the Sudan International Mission.
The program’s relaunch took place last week at the opening of a communal garden in Hurstville.