Welcome to WA Alice!

Empowering children with the opportunity to fulfil their dreams

When 15-year-old Alice landed in Perth having spent much of her childhood in refugee camps, she found settling in to her new home and school a real challenge. Unable to understand what the teachers and other kids were saying, and having missed the foundation years of primary school, she faced enormous barriers to getting a quality education. 

“I found it very confusing at first, because there were lots of computers, and I've never seen that. And there weren't many people who looked like me, so I was a bit lost,” she says. 

But Alice has been fearless in the face of these challenges. With courage, determination, two years’ of intensive English classes, and support from the Home to School service, Alice has been able to thrive at school.  

The Home to School service delivered by 54 reasons, part of the Save the Children Group, supports children of refugee and recent migrant families to settle into school, ensuring their right to a quality education and the opportunity to fulfil their dreams.  

A Home to School Family Support Specialist regularly visits children in their homes to determine the most appropriate support. Depending on the family’s situation, this may take the form of food and clothing, assistance to communicate with teachers and community services, or supporting the children to catch up on foundation skills through a homework club. This gives children a chance to develop confidence, learn and succeed at school.  

The joy of learning and a desire to help people 

Now in Year 10, Alice enjoys school, with a particular interest in biology.

A Family Support Specialist regularly visits Alice at home after school.
Alice has shown courage and worked hard to overcome the enormous barriers to her schooling
and now has her sights set on university and a career in nursing. 

Othni and Eunice

Like many girls their age Othni and Eunice are happiest when reading, drawing and playing with friends at school. But it wasn’t always this way for the girls.

Having left Sri Lanka in traumatic circumstances, they landed in Australia with mum, dad and baby sister. With little English or understanding of Australian culture, they found life in their new home in Perth hard. 

11-year-old Othni and her little sister, seven-year-old Eunice, have both shown courage and resilience in meeting the
challenges of settling in to their new life in Australia. 

“At first school was difficult. I didn’t know the language, and…it makes you feel embarrassed,” Othni says. 

Unable to work, the young family also faced financial difficulties, struggling to feed the growing girls. 

Transforming the lives of young people

Kazim works as a Family Support Specialist with the Home to School program in south-east Perth, and has been assisting Alice, Othni and Eunice and their families. He is clear on how critical the program can be in transforming the lives of young people. 

“All children have a right to quality education” he says. “At the end of the day, we're trying to help the child, who is our main focus…to get that quality education that they're entitled to.” 

“All children have a right to quality education” - Kazim, Family Support Specialist with Home to School.  

Alice agrees, saying the best thing about the program for her is “having an opportunity to study because…we didn't have much education…and I like studying.” 

Othni also explains that through the Home to School service, Kazim, “helped in getting new clothes for us for school. He has given us things like food…. and given us the courage to help make our family live happier.” 
 

Thanks to the support of our generous donors, the Home to School program is there to give courageous kids like Alice, Othni and Eunice the chance of a brighter future. 

Photos: Dave Walters / Save the Children.


  
Home to School is delivered by 54 reasons, a part of the Save the Children Australia Group.