WMM IN ACTION
Art Playgroup creates space for connection (2025)
Our recent partnership with The Support Network for International Students brought together families affected by recent visa changes in a day of creativity and community. Children made colorful artwork sharing their stories and hopes, while parents connected and discussed how policy changes have impacted their lives. The day ended with a moving exhibition of the children's art, putting real faces and stories to what are often just seen as policy numbers. As one parent shared, "These children's artwork shows what statistics can't - these are real families with deep connections to Australia." Both kids and adults left with new friends and a stronger sense of community support.
Empowering temporary visa holders through Know Your Rights info sessions (2024)
Our recent "Know Your Rights" information session with Sanmati (SNIS) successfully brought together temporary visa workers and international students both in-person and online to learn about their rights and protections. Participants gained valuable knowledge and were inspired to take action on issues affecting international student welfare. The Advance League of People's Artists added a special touch to the event with unifying songs that energised the room. The session reinforced our belief that building an informed community through education and organisation is key to creating positive change. Thanks to everyone who participated and contributed to this important conversation about rights and representation!
Vigil of Hope (2024)
In partnership with other migrant-supporting organisations. On Friday, October 11, we held a Vigil of Hope across Australia to advocate for international students' concerns regarding recent changes to the Temporary Graduate (485) visa. The changes, which include an age cap of 35, are expected to impact approximately 20,000 students studying in the country.
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022)
Timely intensive casework and peer support have been continuously provided by our team of volunteers since the inception of the Centre in 2018. When the pandemic hit and Melbourne was placed in long periods of lockdowns, we partnered with community organisations, Migante Melbourne and Anakbayan in delivering food packages and other essential items to international students and temporary visa holders who had lost their jobs and were excluded from government support. We also organised free online consultations on visa policies and training on psychosocial first aid, which we continue to provide to this day.
During the pandemic, we also secured a small grant from the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) on two specific projects namely: National Migrant Women Encounter and Civil society Organisation Development and Engagement. With these two projects, we organised several forums on the needs and challenges faced by migrant women and migrant workers and provided capacity-building sessions for volunteers supporting these groups.
Emergency relief for international students (2020-2022)
Emergency relief during the pandemic 2020 to 2022. Spearheaded by our partners from grassroots organisations, Gabriela Australia Migrante Australia and anakbayan Melbourne we started to give out bread, milk, and eggs to migrants at their homes at the very start of the pandemic in March 2020. This was through mutual aid. Then we intensified our campaign “no migrant left behind” and eventually secured funds from the Victorian government to deliver food packs to thousands of migrants while at same time volunteering our time to attend to cases of abuses and visa issues.