Wellington Somali Council | www.somalinz.org 2.73

The Wellington Somali Council is a not for profit organization that supports community integration and achievement. Wellington Somali Council’s vision is to establish a sustainable and cohesive Somali community. We are an organization that empower and support Somali community members to integrate and adopt to New Zealand society, systems i.e. education, work and so on. As a result, there are a large number of Somali youth who qualified from universities and currently working in diverse sectors from government institutions to commercial businesses. Also large number of Somali youth are seeking higher education through universities throughout in New Zealand.

This demonstrates how well Somali community are integrating into New Zealand. Somali community became the only refugee community that have achieved a number of successes in NZ namely; in success in sports, educations. .

The Wellington Somali Council was incorporated in Nov 2003 and has since established itself in Wellington as a provider of good quality youth services. The activities of the WSC have primarily focused on the youth as they make up a large proportion of the community. The WSC recently won the Education and Youth Development category in the 2007 Wellington Airport community awards. The Council is now looking at developing its social services with the recent employment of a community social worker under a partnership arrangement with WELHEATH formerly known South East and City Primary Health Organisation (SECPHO) and Newtown Union Health Services (NUHS).

The WSC is well connected in the Wellington region with good relationships in the refugee, health, youth and education sectors. The WSC was also instrumental in the establishment of the Changemakers Refugee Forum which have become a considerable force in the Wellington region with their driving of the Refugee Health and Wellbeing Action Plan.