AoD awareness for former refugee communities in Aotearoa New Zealand

The challenge of settlement in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The experience of settlement in a new country is a moment of change and resilience. Many refugees arrive here with little or no knowledge about the country that welcomed them.

Young people from refugee backgrounds face enormous challenges in the settlement process in Aotearoa New Zealand. They must locate themselves in a new social and cultural space, but also try to find security in the spaces of their own families and ethnic communities. These challenges can increase the risk of alcohol and other drug use.

Community Action - Listening to their concerns.

Former refugee and migrants’ communities living in the Nelson Tasman region have always raised concerns about the lack of information on alcohol and other drugs and how to deal with this issue in Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2020, CAYAD Kaimahi Marcelo Ribas started a community action to support these communities. The first step was to meet with representatives from different ethnic communities to plan and discuss the development of support, respecting their traditions, languages and worldviews.

The next phase was to join forces with leading organisations in the region, such as Victory Community Centre and Nelson Bays Primary Health to provide culturally appropriate education and support to equip young people and parents with knowledge and strategies to prevent and deal with the harms associated with the use alcohol and other drugs in New Zealand.

Raising-awareness activities.

CAYAD Kaimahi for the Nelson Tasman region Marcelo Ribas facilitated a series of discussion sessions on alcohol and other drugs to former refugees at Victory Community Centre in Nelson, South Island.

To achieve better results, the information sessions were designed to be interactive and culturally appropriate, according to the ethnicity of the participants.

Ongoing support – Golazo Football project.

Most former refugees and migrants come from countries where football is very popular. CAYAD in collaboration with Cimarron Aotearoa (local Colombian cultural organisation), Multicultural Nelson Tasman, Shared Communities and with funding from Sport Tasman - launched the Golazo Football project for young people from all ethnic communities living in Nelson Tasman. The name Golazo comes from a Brazilian word that means scoring a spectacular beautiful goal, but also achieving something positive in life with effort. The objective of this initiative is to use the passion for football to provide young people with an opportunity to make healthier lifestyle choices, build friendships, learn about each other`s culture and develop mutual respect and stay away from alcohol and other drugs. Young people learn new football techniques and skills played in South American style.

Multicultural Football Tournament. This was the third edition of the football tournament that brings together different ethnicities in a vibrant competition. This tournament was attended by families of former refugees and migrants as well as the general public and is already part of the region's sporting calendar. CAYAD helped organise this AOD-free event, provided the trophies using the Community Action Fund (CAF), and during the tournament distributed information about AOD and vaping.