Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Project

In 2008 WHISE was successful in achieving funding for two projects focusing on newly arrived families from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Both projects are a partnership model with Windermere Child and Family Services and the Ethnic Communities Council of the South-East, with WHISE as the lead agency in the first project, and Windermere the lead agency in the second.

The Helen McPherson Smith Trust has funded the project, Strengthening the role of CALD Men within their families in the Australian Context, which works with newly arrived men of CALD backgrounds to help them:

  • Take up family and community roles which retain the best features of their home culture, and adopt good features of the Australian culture
  • Take leadership and mentoring roles in their home cultures, to assist younger men growing up in the context of dual communities (CALD and Australian)
  • Build the confidence of CALD men in relation to family, work and their worth within Australian society.

The Ivor Roland Evans Trust has funded the project, Strengthening the CALD Family with particular emphasis on the needs of children, which helps children of CALD families to:

  • Describe and express their experiences as refugees of newly arrived migrants
  • Understand the difficulties experienced by their parents in the transition to the Australian community
  • Develop strategies to cope more effectively in their family and/or community
  • Develop their confidence in their own capacity and that of their families, to live full productive lives in the Australian society
  • Explore educational inputs that can empower children to take a lead in their own lives and in their new community.

Our target groups for the projects were:

  • Sudanese
  • Afghani
  • Vietnamese
  • Chinese
  • Turkish

The reports from these projects will be available through the website shortly.