STARTTS star shines at award night
STARTTS is proud to congratulate our staff member on her nomination for the 2016 Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Community Individual Award.
Yassmen is herself a refugee from Iraq. As a member of a persecuted ethnic minority called Mandaeanism, she is only too aware of the trauma experienced by those fleeing persecution in their homeland.
Yassmen was nominated for her work with the Mandaean Women’s committee, where she works to assist and encourage larger participation of ethnic women in the community. She understands the fear and dislocation of those in her community, and is committed to helping her community to settle safely and happily in their new home.
Yassmen first came to know STARTTS as a client, and is now a valued member of staff. The staff of STARTTS are proud of her achievements, and applaud her dedication to supporting and enhancing the lives of others in need.
Read more about the
2016 Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Community Individual Award here.
Keeping Their Traditions Alive: Mandaean Baptism
"It was 6:30 in the morning when I arrived on the banks of the Nepean River in Penrith. The grass was still wet with the morning dew, and the smell of incense wafted from the river bank. I was there to witness an event called Benja– the Creation of Life – that few Sydneysiders ever get to see, unless you are a member of the local Mandaean community… 