Yvonne Ennion has been helping resettle refugees in Hamilton for more than 20 years. She has volunteered among the Somali, Congolese, Afghan and Djibouti communities, helping mainly women integrate into their new society and improve their command of English.
Yvonne is not sure how her interest in such groups evolved. ‘‘I think I’ve always had an affinity for people from other cultures, and how we can learn from them,” she said.
“They have as much to offer us as we have to offer them, with a depth of knowledge that has come from adversity.’’
The immigrant families are always welcomed at the Ennion family farm at Horsham Downs, just north of Hamilton, where Yvonne lives with her sister Margaret, and where assisting refugees is a family affair.
When Yvonne‘s mother died in January, an Afghan woman living in Hamilton arrived at Yvonne’s doorstep with a plate of food. When Yvonne asked why, the woman replied: ‘‘But Yvonne, she was my mother too.’’
Yvonne was nominated as an unsung hero by her friend, Barbara Redfern, who has great respect for the work she does. Yvonne has also helped organise holiday camps and holiday programmes for refugee children, as a fun and challenging way for the youngsters to learn about their new home.
As part of the integration process, Yvonne encourages children to be active and take up a sport. She also runs a community integration class for Somali, Djibouti, Afghan, Congolese and Tongan women, where they have the chance to talk together and learn from their different experiences. She also co-ordinates a sewing circle for women who want to learn the skill, although she needs help from sister Margaret for this.
‘‘My sewing skills aren’t all that good,’’ Yvonne says. ‘‘I’m better at finding new recruits for the classes.’’