DIVERSE contributions of refugees to the community were celebrated at Mount Gambier North Primary School last week.
Refugee Week celebrated the successful settlement of over 140 migrant families in Mount Gambier.
Students from Mount Gambier North Primary and Mount Gambier High schools performed musical items, including a traditional Burmese dance, a hip hop routine and a rendition of
We Are The World.
In addition, Congolese migrant Jolie Hirwa shared her inspiring story of migrating to Mount Gambier, as well as how she has adjusted to Australian life.
The celebration was well attended by the Mount Gambier community with Mount Gambier Migrant Resource Centre manager Anelia Blackie praising the event’s support.
“It is great to see so many members of the community join together in celebrating our region’s migrants,” she said.
“There were so many new faces in the crowd, which is a true testament to the influence our migrants have on the community.”
A report on a decade of Burmese settlement in South Australia was also launched on the night by Department of Home Affairs regional director Jane Samson.
The report was compiled by the Australian Migrant Resource Centre and the University of Adelaide with content submitted from throughout South Australia, including stories about Mount Gambier’s migrants.
LEADERSHIP: Mount Gambier North Primary School Intensive English Learning Program assistant principal Arm Puangpaka and Mount Gambier Migrant Resource Centre manager Anelia Blackie coordinate
