Rebuilding life, again

The New Settlers Family and Community Trust is partnering with the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Office as an official provider of the Storm Recovery Navigation Service. Navigators help storm-impacted whānau get back on their feet with much-needed practical support and advice.

Settling in a new country is a major lifeline for refugees. They have come from incredibly traumatic situations many of us could not even fathom.

But the journey is not over when they leave - they also need to rebuild their lives from scratch, here on the other side of the world, in a completely different environment.

So, when some lost everything again in the Auckland Anniversary Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, it was a devastating hit.

From day one the New Settlers Family and Community Trust (NFACT) were there for these storm-affected families. Knowing they would find it especially tough, they got on the phones and found 15 families that had been affected, some very severely. It wasn't long before they had tapped their networks to source much needed help.

Navigating the tough road to recovery

Over a year later, they are now an official provider of the Storm Recovery Navigator Service helping these families navigate the tough road to recovery.

Asif Agah is one of two Storm Recovery Navigators with NFACT and says picking up the pieces has been hard for people who had only just managed to get back on their feet.

"A family of five we worked with managed to escape the flooding, only to return home to a water damaged, vandalised and looted home. To make things worse, the humble car they had just bought was flooded and couldn't be recovered. They had only been living there four or five months," says Asif.

Asif raising awareness of navigator support at Umar Masjid prayers

"It's heartbreaking because they worked so hard for even the simplest of items."

Asif and the NFACT team walked hand-in-hand with the family through the traumatic period, being a reliable shoulder to lean on, a caring ear to listen, and a source of practical support and connections.

Through the Navigator Service, Asif was able to provide the family with a Red Cross home bundle when they finally moved into their new home. This helped them replace furniture and household items.

"People are blown away by our support and guidance. I know it's a huge relief for them, especially not feeling alone trying to put their lives back together," Asif adds.

Acknowledging the trauma and loss

NFACT CEO, Fahima Saeid, says with new settlers, practical support goes hand-in-hand with mental wellbeing needs. So, the organisation works closely with psychologists and councillors.

"Refugees don't really ask for help or complain about their struggles. It's part of their mind frame and culture to just thank God for what they have, and instead pray for people in worse situations," says Fahima.

"But we've been able to create a safe shared space for them to acknowledge their experience and loss together. They can talk about the recovery struggle and work through their anxiety around rain and flooding. You can see it's a great release for them.

How to contact the New Settlers Family and Community Trust

If you have a new refugee friend or neighbour who was affected by last year's storms, and might benefit from Storm Recovery Navigator support, we would like to hear from them. Contact the team:

Asif Agah [email protected] 021 280 0122

Amin Bakhsh [email protected] 021 280 0602

NFACT admin [email protected] 021 280 0515

In addition to the Storm Recovery Navigation Service, NFACT provides wraparound emotional wellbeing and resettlement support to refugees who are new to the country and don't receive much support from any other organisation. It helps refugees from a variety of backgrounds with staff that can speak a range of different languages.

You can find out more about the New Settlers Family and Community Trust here.

"We are here for you. You don't have to suffer alone. We have the right support and can also help you prepare for anything like this in the future. And we'll do whatever is needed, for as long as it takes."

NFACT Navigator, Amin Bakhsh, talking to people about flood recovery support

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