Organisational Background: The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) has a mission to accompany, serve and defend the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people.

JRS Women’s Space is a women’s only ‘safe space’ located in Parramatta that offers community activities and social programs to asylum seeking and refugee women and their children. JRS is looking for a Farsi speaking volunteer to assist with translating and interpreting.

Key Responsibilities:

• Translating and interpreting from English to Farsi.
• Welcoming women to the Women's Space, introducing yourself and asking the name of the person.
• Politely informing people that this is a women-only space and referring to the JRS Women's Space policy if a male enters the premises.
• Asking the woman how you can help and direct her to the person or program required.
• Engage in general conversation with women who are waiting, being sensitive and listening.
• Where possible, talk to women about programs at JRS using flyers.
• Offer tea, coffee, water, biscuits, etc.
• Assist with the day to day running of the Women’s Space.
• Take direction from JRS project staff.
• General cleaning and hospitality tasks.
• Assist with child-minding for women who are utilising the space.
• Participate/assist with the set up and running of activities for women in the space i.e. yoga/meditation classes, support groups, training sessions/workshops.

Skills Required:

• Volunteer must speak both English and Farsi fluently.
• Volunteers need to be empathetic to asylum seeking and refugee women and respectful of different cultural practices and religions.
• Good listening, childcare and organisational skills are highly useful.
• Women with lived refugee experience and/or proficiency in a relevant community language are highly encouraged to apply.
• To be female is a genuine requirement for this position under (Section 31 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977).

Time required: The JRS Women's Space run a range of weekly and monthly activities.

Contact: Please direct any questions regarding the position to Sarah Brown (Project Officer) 0422 065 549.