city dwellers

Bid to contact city dwellers

An islands community worker is looking for island communities in Sydney.

Pesamino Tavalai Aloisio of Western Samoa is working for three months at the South Sydney Community Aid Centre at Redfem.

His part time job is financed with the aid of a Ethnic Affairs Commission grant.

“I’m trying to contact friends from all throughout the region,” he told PIM. “We know there are several island communities in Sydney and I want to find out where they are and what their problems are.”

Pesamino said he also hoped to help organise community

development programs within the various groups.

Awareness, he said was vital, if the communities were to make progress awareness amomg islanders of mainstream and specialist Pacific island services and awareness of the needs of the island communi ties among mainstream bodies.

He also wants to establish a referral service and and main tain a record of those using it.

“This is so that we can make an analysis of the islands groups in the city at the end of the project,” he said.

He said he also planned to establish neworks of island groups, by making them aware

of each other and by deve loping contact between the va rious comunities.

He will produce a report at the end of his three month stint.

“I would appreciate the opportunity to meet people from the islands and talk about their needs in Sydney, ” he said.

Until the project ends in min-November, Pesamina can be contacted at home on Syd ney 516-1895 or at work on Sydney 699-9391.

“Anybody is welcome at the centre in Redfern,” he said.

“Or I’d be happy to go and meet individuals or groups whenever it suits them. All they have to do is give me a call.”