Cringila Women’s Futures

Reflections from our Guest Speaker Session 28 August 2006

• Mervat Abdel Karin – Community Worker – Illawarra Muslim Women’s Association
  for people without English – they feel very lost when they come to Australia – learning the language is very important to be able to move on.  Mervat was a very motivated lady and had the language – she was very emotional telling her story;
• Mervat had to try hard – it took willpower;
• accent very hard to understand;
• Mervat was very honest – sadness leaving Egypt – her compassion for others;
• we need to accept others for what we are;
• very valuable;
• inspiring.

Continuing Creating a Personal Vision – The Flower a Picture of the Job of your Dreams – (What Colour is Your Parachute Workbook, Bolles, R.N.) For the participants who were not present in Week 5 – 21/8/06 –

Participants shared three stories from their past about things they did just because they were fun, or because they gave a sense of adventure or a sense of achievement.  This process aimed to identify participants favourable transferable skills in order of priority or importance.  Each story to be something you did at work, or in school or at play and can be from any time period in your life. 
 

The facilitator asked each participant which story had the strongest impact for them and asked a series of open questions to ‘tease’ out the favourable transferable skills. 
 

L -

Story 1 – travelling when younger, saved money and wasted – Greek Islands, fun, riding Mopeds

Story 2 – everyone getting together at Christmas time

Story 3 – Dental College – graduating – Dental Therapist – working with children

M -

Story 1 – Travel to Gold Coast, Dreamworld, Sea World, Movie World – enjoying with son

Story 2 – helping others – on Tuesday cook for family, love the cooking

W –

Story 1 - when friends come over, talk together, have tea with some sweet thing
Story 2 – talking with neighbour or family, watching TV with children, learning more English
 

M -

Story 1 – When Mum came out from Peru – I was very happy

Story 2 – I feel happy working with people, being busy – both older people and children.  I feel a lot of empathy for older people but I’m most happy working with children and organizing activities.

Skills from the stories –

W – teaching parenting skills, communicating with others, teaching Arabic, (recognition through NATTAI in the future)

W – teaching parenting skills, communicating with others, teaching Arabic, (recognition through NATTAI in the future)
 M – parenting, budgeting, learning to be independent
 L – communication skills, working independently, working with children

M – working with people, working with children, Speaking Spanish, Reading, Writing & Speaking English, Computer Skills for the Office (maybe obtain recognition through NATTAI in the future)