1. Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies (ACWA) Conference
Culturally appropriate mentoring for young Horn of Africans in Australia
Pooja Sawrikar, Megan Griffiths and Kristy Muir
Social Policy Research Centre,
University of New South Wales,
Sydney, Australia
Prepared for
Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies (ACWA) Conference
Sydney, August 2008
The authors acknowledge the National Youth Affairs Research Scheme (NYARS) for funding to complete this research.
This paper expresses the views of the authors only and not NYARS.

2. Overview of presentation
Background
Aim
Method
Results
Conclusion

3. Background: demographics
Recent increase in the number of young people from the Horn of Africa in Australia
Horn of Africa: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan
Most people from Horn of Africa enter under Special Humanitarian Program (SHP)
97% of entrants from Sudan (N = between ) under SHP
Between , 65% who entered under SHP were < 30 years old

4. Background: challenges
As a newly arrived migrant group, service providers know little about their needs and how best to address them
Also, the needs of Horn of African families are different from the needs of the young person in that family
Challenges:
As a young person
e.g. pursuing educational and employment opportunities
As an ethnic minority in Australia
e.g. racism or acculturation, and
As a Horn of African
e.g. PTSD or loss of country

5. Background: mentoring
State governments (especially Victoria) are relying on mentoring as a possible source of support for young Horn of Africans
Mentoring is:
the formation of a helping relationship between a younger person (the mentee) and an unrelated, relatively older, more experienced person (the mentor) who can increase the capacity of the young person to connect with positive social and economic networks to improve their life chances (Department for Victorian Communities, 2005)

6. Background: benefits of mentoring for young people
Possible short term benefits
Address challenges related to:
age,
ethnicity, and
direct or indirect trauma from the Horn of Africa
Possible longer term benefits
Increase sense of empowerment for navigating the socio-cultural and institutional systems in Australia, and
increase or promote sense of inclusion in Australia

7. Background: benefits are conditional on...
The extent to which mentoring effectively achieves these possible benefits cannot be determined until mentoring programs are established and evaluated.
However, it is still important for mentoring organisations to be aware of how best to tailor their service delivery to ensure it is culturally appropriate.
This was the aim of this study:
conducted by the SPRC, and
commissioned by NYARS

8. Aims
Main aim of this study:
to identify how best to tailor current mentoring programs, policies, and procedures to make it culturally appropriate for young Horn of African mentees.

9. Method Three methodological stages:
Stage 1: National and international literature review
mentoring models and service provision for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups, in particular Horn of Africans
Stage 2: Semi-structured telephone interviews with key stakeholders (N = 13)
involved in mentoring, designing, implementing and/or funding mentoring programs, or
providing community services specifically for Horn of Africans
Stage 3: Focus groups with young Horn of African people and mentees
2 focus groups per state: NSW, Vic, and SA
N = 33 (19 males; 11 mentees; years old)

10. Results: areas of focus for culturally appropriate services
Three areas that need to be targeted to promote culturally appropriate service delivery:
organisational policies and practices,
supporting the mentor with a Horn of African mentee, and
supporting the young Horn of African mentee.

11. Results: organisational
Organisational policies and practices
Recruiting Horn of African or Arabic speaking staff
Providing cultural awareness training to staff
Developing partnerships with Horn of African community organisations and the local Horn of African community, and
Including Horn of African young people in the planning and design of mentoring programs

12. Results: mentor
Supporting the mentor with a Horn of African mentee
Screening mentors
Recruiting volunteers
Cultural awareness training
List of relevant organisations and services
Relationship building exercises and activities, and
Monitoring and supervision

13. Results: mentee Supporting the young Horn of African mentee
Mentoring is most appropriate after immediate settlement needs have been met
Consider mentoring model
Consider length of contract, frequency of contact, and type of activities
Consider matching mentor and mentee
based on race, gender, and age
Engaging their family, and
Assuring mentees of confidentiality, especially from their parents

14. Discussion
These results provide clearly stated and practical ways for mentoring organisations to adapt their current models of service delivery to ensure that it is culturally appropriate for their young Horn of African mentees
The results may be used by:
mentors
mentoring program managers
mentoring policy makers
Horn of Africans community organisations
other service providers aiming to help facilitate their settlement in Australia, and
young Horn of African mentees and people

15. Conclusion
Mentoring may be a useful tool for young Horn of Africans in Australia
Mentoring may be able to:
provide holistic support for their emotional, socio-cultural and/or resource-related settlement issues and needs,
equip young Horn of Africans with the know-how and confidence to fully participate in an Australian way of life,
facilitate the on-going process of acculturation, and
increase young people’s sense of social inclusion in Australia.

16. Further Information
We would like to thank: our advisor Dr Elizabeth Cassity (University of Sydney); NYARS; the stakeholders interviewed; and young Horn of African people who participated in the focus groups
For further information contact:
Pooja Sawrikar
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