Mission Units Support Former Refugees

Two mission units recently had the pleasure of welcoming former refugees into Aotearoa New Zealand through the Community Refugee Sponsorship scheme.

Urban Vison Cannons Creek in Porirua and Journey Christian Fellowship in Lower Hutt have worked with their ministry teams to provide furnished homes and a welcoming community to settle new arrivals in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Mission Unit, Journey Christian Fellowship welcomes a Rwandan woman this week. She will move into a unit in the recently completed Taitā development at St Matthews.

They connected with the tenancy team at the Diocese who are managing the properties in the hope that one of the units might be available.

Persis Pacifique, Finance Assistant at the Anglican Centre is part of Journey Christian Fellowship. She says, “Securing a home was wonderful. But knowing this woman would be part of the extended care and safety of the St Matthew’s community is such good news for us.”

Persis and her church developed detailed settlement and orientation plans – required under the scheme – to prepare for the arrival. This included such things as securing quality furnished accommodation, arranging to meet at the airport and introducing them to New Zealand society and systems such as education, health, transportation, shopping, employment and culture.

They will even be covering the rent at the Taitā home until the new family arrives and they can start paying for it themselves.  

Persis says, “Some of our members have been through a similar refugee experience. So they naturally want to support people making the same transition.

“It’s also a key way for us to extend the love of Jesus to others,” she says.  

Matt Crawshaw from the Urban Vision Cannons Creek team describes it as a privilege to be part of this programme. The team have sponsored a family of four who have been refugees in Uganda for over 10 years. They never expected to get an opportunity like this, to start their life in a safe country with so many opportunities for their family to flourish.

“It’s been a labour of love for us in welcoming our new friends to Porirua. They have overcome so much and shown such tenacity just to get here.

“But, in the short time since arriving they have focused on getting settled and are now cracking into the opportunities available to them here.

“It’s impressive to watch,” he said.

The Community Refugee Sponsorship programme enables approved community groups to take the lead role in settling newly arrived refugees.

Over a two-year period, they help the family find housing, form connections, access services, secure employment, learn English and participate in their community to achieve independence and belonging in their new home.

Approved organisations enter into an agreement with Immigration New Zealand and use their community networks and funding to help a family resettle in Aotearoa.

They are supported by HOST International Aotearoa New Zealand, an umbrella organisation, for the duration of the programme.

If you are curious about the scheme and want to know more, please contact Matt Crawshaw on 020 4116 1128