Hamilton Multicultural Services Trust

Hamilton Multicultural Services Trust (HMS) provides a range of services designed to assist migrants and refugees who have come to settle in Hamilton.

Vision:

A society that values and celebrates the diversity of all people.

MIssion:

Paving the way for successful settlement

Goals:

Relationship building
To Connect, support and advocate for the refugee and migrant communities
To maintain and establish stakeholder relationships
To foster participation of newcomers in the community

Empowerment
To enable refugees and migrants to be engaged members of the community

Capacity building
To strengthen the organisation, grow existing projects while developing new ones
To promote a society that values and celebrates the diversity of all people through facilitating understanding between host and migrant communities and working collaboratively to ensure successful settlement.

Visit the website of Hamilton Multicultural Services Trust

Projects 2011

Community Centre

The Waikato Migrant Resource Centre is a Hamilton City Council community centre providing a focal place of activity for ethnic communities in Hamilton. Settlement information and services are delivered from the Centre by the Trust as well as the other partners namely: English Language Partners, Refugee Services, and Waikato Refugee Forum.

Settlement Support New Zealand

SSNZ offers a clear point of contact for migrants in the Waikato Region. Settlement Information is provided through the WMRC, and clients are also connected to appropriate agencies when necessary. The Coordinator also works closely with the local settlement network to improve settlement outcomes in the area.

Decypher – Interpreting/Translating

The only service that provides interpreting and translating in Hamilton and the surrounding areas. It services the Waikato Hospital, the courts, and other private individuals, organisations and agencies.

HealthRight Interpreting

This Midlands Network funded project allows provision of free interpreters in 21 GP practices and surgeries. Migrant and refugees can also access the interpreters for other social service appointments.

Interpreter Training

The In-house Interpreter Training allows Decypher to continually build its pool of interpreters and thus service the needs of the city.

Migrant Internship

This program aims to obtain work experience for migrants who bring their education, skills, and experience to the New Zealand workplace. Potential interns are prepared via workshops and sessions on CV Writing, Interview techniques, Employment and contracts and other sessions that of use to them as employees. This responds to the difficulty of some skilled migrants to find employment because they lack “kiwi experience.”

Indigo Festival

The Indigo Festival, 19 -26 March 2011, is a vibrant celebration of Hamilton’s multicultural community.

First held in 2000, it has become a much loved event that showcases the music, art, and traditions of this diverse city.

 Other Projects

 

  • Health Promotion – promoting health initiatives among the migrant and refugee communities
  • Computers in Homes -This programme which enjoys support from local and national government as well as community partners, is deeply involved in creating positive change for refugees and migrants by providing basic computer training and the provision of computers and internet access
  • NZ Ethnic Football Festival
  • Emergent Art

 Contact Jovi Abellanosa jovia@hmstrust.org.nz

 

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