1. Sara Aurorae – Youth Settlement Support Worker
Migrant Resource Centre North West Region
Hand Made With Heart
HEALTH AND NUTRITION WITH REFUGEE AND MIGRANTS

2. PAGE 1
Contents Page
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................2
Hand made with Heart Pilot Programme.....................................................................................2
Intended Activities ................................................................................................................................3
Certificate II Hospitality .................................................................................................................3
Recipe Management .........................................................................................................................3
Budgeting Education ........................................................................................................................4
Nutrition and Health Education ..................................................................................................4
Day Trips and Excursions ...............................................................................................................4
Gardening ..............................................................................................................................................4
Farmers Market ...................................................................................................................................4
End of Programme Event ................................................................................................................5
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................5

3. PAGE 2
Introduction
Australia is well known for being a country of food lovers, with televised programs like MasterChef
being one of the most watched shows in the country. It is not just vegemite, pavlova or lamingtons
that highlight the culinary splendor of the nation, but the ethnic and religious diversity from the
millions of migrants from over 200 countries that pack Australia with wonderful and exotic blends
of food.
Australia’s country profile shows that we are one of the most vibrant and multicultural societies in
the world, and this vibrancy proves our strong food culture. As a consequence, we have –
particularly in Melbourne – a plethora of opportunities to access various foods and products from
all over the world. Unfortunately, accessibility of these products is dependent on knowledge of
where these foods and products are, what they are used for, and how to use them. It is the endeavor
of the Hand made with Heart programme to teach and develop younger Migrants and Refugees
just that.
Hand made with heart will involve youths aged between 15-24 from an Migrant or Refugee status to
learn how to cook, how to budget, how to shop, where to shop and what to buy. Education on
health and nutrition and understanding concepts like the Health Star Rating or the Heart
Foundation Tick of Approval will be part and parcel as part of the education programme. The
importance of understanding health, nutrition and self-control together with building and forming
strong relationships will assist with the integration and support of newly arrived migrants and
refugees.
Hand made with Heart Pilot Programme
Social connectedness is vital to ensure that individuals – particularly youths – form interactions in
mutually enjoyed activities, and this is particularly important for the integration of newly arrived
Migrants and Refugees. It promotes relationships based on trust and since many have arrived in
Australia from war-torn countries such as Iraq or Sudan, tolerance and a sense of belonging
through activities such as cooking and sharing food promotes acceptance of their new country.
Studies have shown that poor nutrition can also lead to a plethora of health problems, with proven
links between nutritional deficiency and mental health issues such as depression, emotional
upheaval and behaviour. Deakin University stated that poor health and nutrition amongst
adolescents led to poor psychological functioning, whereby a strong link between poverty, poor
eating and nutrition with mental health issues is clearly visible.[1]
This problem is further amplified
[1]
Felice N. Jacka, A Prospective Study of Diet Quality and Mental Health in Adolescents, September 21,
2011DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024805

4. PAGE 3
amongst those from poorer socio-economic backgrounds, including recently arrived migrants and
refugees, particularly younger men who have arrived in Australia on their own.
Diet is not only extremely important during adolescence for health – including mental health – and
since a majority of psychological problems begin during adolescence, both preventative and/or
sustainable methods of modifying their diets is paramount to changing the growing trends,
particularly amongst the youth in poorer socio-economic backgrounds who have just settled in
Australia. The best way this can be achieved is through educating youths more about the cooking
essentials, including cooking techniques such as chopping, using various utensils, and cooking
foods itself, understanding taste and the language of recipes, where to purchase foods and
budgeting.
Research has shown that poverty, nutrition and an understanding of food amongst some refugee
and migrant communities is undesirable. Some of these factors include choice, or the inability to
effectively connect to or understand where to go in order to purchase what is necessary. Thus, to
add to the social element of the programme, ideas about travelling to markets and farms as day
trips or excursions, which could also inspire gardening practices and techniques.
The programme is also intersected across many important areas of transition support, namely
assisting migrants and refugees with learning more skills about health, wellbeing and cooking
together with learning how to budget and save money, thus empowering the youth to take more
control of their finances and environment that overall leads to better mental health. In addition to
the programme being educational, it allows the youths to interconnect and socialise with one
another, thus provide support for social networking amongst youths with both common interests
and concerns.
Intended Activities
Certificate II Hospitality
Many refugees and migrants come to Australia alone and often do not have the practical skills
necessary to maintain sustainable ways to cooking for themselves. If they do, there tends to be no
variety in their cooking and little understanding of nutrition. In order to understand nutrition and
health, it is vital to know how to cook including utilising utensils in the kitchen and other
important aspects to elementary cooking.
Practical, hands-on cooking lessons within a commercial kitchen is therefore necessary in the
programme. The programmes should initially tackle elementary issues with cooking, such as rice,
eggs, pasta and other basic cooking techniques, with the inclusion of how to cut vegetables and
fruits, times to cook, different grains, meats and other processes.

5. PAGE 4
Recipe Management
Recipe management is vital to ensure that students in the programme can manage and maintain a
healthy lifestyle. Learning to read recipes, including understanding measurements, where to access
recipes, how to follow a recipe and to utilise software, apps and other tools to ensure easy access to
recipes in vital. Recipe management can be taught both in class and as part of their practical
application.
Budgeting Education
Effective methods of saving money by correctly spending and budgeting on food expenditure will
also be a part of their education. Budgeting is vital, particularly for persons from lower socio-
economic backgrounds that are often compelled to junk food due both to lack of knowledge and
since it is financially easier. The classes will show how over time they could be saving more money
by eating healthy rather and cooking than by eating junk food. This will be amalgamated with
excursions to markets and other shopping venues to ensure that students understand what they
can buy and how to utilise and save food effectively.
Nutrition and Health Education
Australia has a substantial amount of information relating to health and nutrition, particularly
related to packaging such as the Heart Foundation’ Tick of Approval and Health Ratings etc &.c,
and the class will teach the students how to read and understand nutrition by learning how to read
such information. Learning about the amount of sugar or fat in a product and how this can impact
on their health among other education programs on healthy eating will be utilized to assist their
decision-making on what foods they would like to eat.
Day Trips and Excursions
Day trips are vital as part of the program to get students to be active, to socialize and have fun, as
well as learn at the same time. Getting students to learn to navigate Melbourne including using
trains and trams, going to places like Victoria Market, farmers markets and local greengrocers. In
addition, travel to farms, including berry farms and learning about environmental farming practices
in rural Victoria will also be a part of the day trips and excursions.

6. PAGE 5
Gardening
Gardening is an important activity, both for mental health and to understand food and products
themselves. Through the assistance of local public gardens or spaces that allow the students to start
learning, a beginners gardening program teaching students about soil and cultivation, vegetables
and seasons and other necessary details that will allow the student to learn about gardening and
take the learning home. In addition, gardening in urban environments has become a trend and
therefore teaching students about gardening indoors, outdoors, on balconies or in small
environments such as keeping a small herb garden will also be taught.
Farmers Market Stall
The Migrant Resource Centre North West Region has been allocated a spot at Melbourne
University’ Farmers Market Stall, which is an excellent incentive for the students to participate in
direct activities and interact with students, learning to communicate and at the same time keep the
programme sustainable.
End of Programme Event: Recipe Book Celebrating Food, Culture and
Personal Stories
A celebration marking the end of and the successful completion of the programme, it is intended
that each of the students that participate in the program also provide a story about their travels to
Australia, their experiences being in a new country, their ambitions for the near future and their
personal relationship with food from their country. Each student will also provide their favorite
personal recipes. This will be published in a book entitled Hand made with heart: Journey of Food
and Culture and each of the participants will be provided with a copy.
In addition to the publication, awards celebrating the success of particular students in specific
areas will also be provided for. To add to that, other more active celebrations such as cooking
lessons taught by the students to the general public, selling food and enjoying culture and music
will certainly be a part of the celebrations.
Conclusion
The programme assists younger migrants and refugees in a plethora of different areas, including
learning and developing existing cooking skills, socialising and connecting through participation,
expressing their stories and managing their health and nutrition independently.

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The program is very informative and cuts across various areas and as a consequence could inspire
students to potentially lead to further interest professionally in hospitality, business and
horticulture.