Meet Megha
“I got so much great support from the staff at Growing Learners. With their help, I am standing here.”
Megha
Megha, 37, has two small children, aged three and seven. When she moved from India to Australia in 2011, Megha lacked confidence in English, which hindered her ability to find a job and support her children to learn and prepare for school. Her youngest, Yogi, wasn’t good at communicating, talking or playing with other children. He was very shy. He did not have confidence to play with the other kids and rarely made conversation with other kids. Megha was worried about his social development.
Attending the Brotherhood’s Growing Learners program in Mernda has given Yogi the self-assurance to play with other children without having Megha right next to him. Yogi now gets very excited to attend playgroup. “He is now playing with other children and he’s happy,” she says. “He’s learnt so much, and I feel so much more relaxed.”
In addition to benefitting Yogi, Growing Learners has helped Megha make friends and improve her English. Many of the parents and carers are also learning the language, and they all practise together. Improving her English means Megha can communicate with her children’s teachers better and take a more active part in their education. “My daughter is in Grade 2, so I have to talk to her teachers and friends,” says Megha. “Now I can understand, it helps a lot.”
Once a week the group are also taught something new, from financial literacy, to budgeting and cooking. “We are learning ideas about how to save money and how to make our budget last,” says Megha.
Through the program, Megha has been given help with career advice, finding employment pathways and a job placement. “I got so much moral support from the staff at Growing Learners,” she explains. Once the placement is completed she’ll start work in a hospital as a Patient Service Assistant.
Megha’s delighted with the way the group is setting Yogi up for kinder and school. “I’ve seen a huge improvement in Yogi’s confidence.”
Our programs support a parent’s relationship with their child as they prepare them for school. We also work with parents to develop their employment skills.
By donating to the Brotherhood you can help families like Megha’s.
We’re grateful for the bravery of Megha, Josephine, and Elif, who’ve shared their stories in the hope it will generate support for others like them.
You can write a message of support to these remarkable women.