Volunteers of Cork: Helping people build a better life

IN this new weekly feature series, I get to spend time with some of the people who are giving their time and energy to helping others through their volunteering work across Cork.

First up is the Cork Migrant Centre, which is based in Nano Nagle Place on Evergreen Street in Cork city. It was established by the Presentation Sisters in 2006 and today is run through the Community Hub, which aims to provide free, confidential and current information regarding access to services and immigration issues.

A huge part of the work of Cork Migrant Centre is to advocate on behalf of migrant children, families and communities. This is a vital aspect of support that any group of people who are arriving in a new country desperately need.

To give some context, imagine you moved yourself or your family to a completely new country, perhaps where a different language was spoken in order to pursue a better life. You would need and accept all the support you could get to help you and your family settle into this new life in this new place.

The Cork Migrant Centre provides this exact type of support. They help to empower people who are looking to provide a better life for their family and themselves.

I spoke with Deborah Oniah, who lives in Mallow, and who volunteers at Cork Migrant centre. She is a wonderful example of someone who has experienced being a migrant herself initially and now, having found a life, a community and a home here in Cork, has turned to be the volunteer, supporting and guiding new migrants through the difficult first months of arriving in a new country.

Deborah migrated from Nigeria where she holds a Law Degree and has continued her education by attending UCC and studying for a Post Graduate diploma in Trauma Studies.

She is empowering herself to be able to help others and being an incredible example, not just for other migrants but for anyone who is willing to work hard and volunteer, and for showing how education has helped her build a new life for herself and her family in Cork.

How did you become a volunteer?

I arrived in Ireland in 2017 with my three boys and my little girl was born here, I am a mother of four. It was not easy at the beginning but I got support from the community, and I am happy to now call Cork home.

In 2018, I started my volunteering journey as a participant at the women’s coffee morning, I was living at the Direct Provision in Cork city at the time, I saw the support and safe space the group was for me and I decided to tell more women.

There was a lot of empowerment training, mental health discussion, women’s sexuality discussion, parenting workshops, and more.

I now volunteer as a family support worker, a trainer, and also as the secretary for Saoirse EHD, a social enterprise that came out from the women group.

For me, I understand first how isolation can re-traumatise someone, and how getting support and integrating can support someone to move forward from that.

Mental health is important to me, education is important to me, and the Cork Migrant centre provides that.

I’m really happy to be doing what I do and to see how families transition while processing their loss to recovery.

A day in the life of a volunteer

I do different tasks and jobs while volunteering. I facilitate parenting conversation workshops and a culturally relevant parenting program (CRPP) for Migrant Parents.

I engage with other migrant interest groups towards enhancing the capacities of migrant parents, and I help with one on one support if needed.

I provide safe space for individuals and families and link them to services that they need to support their welfare, and additional support that they might need.

What impact does Cork Migrant Centre have on its users?

For me, I’m always amazed to see how a family can transform and make progress while coming to the coffee morning, getting English classes, improving their mental health, developing leadership skills, becoming self-aware, and often taking the role of supporting other migrants.

In many cases, people will go back to education and make positive progress in their new country and that sense of belonging is just amazing to see and experience.

The journey of a migrant

On arrival to Ireland, one is first at a reception centre before being sent to Direct Provision. I was moved to Cork, it was a very difficult time. I could not put it in words but I am grateful for my GP, at the Grand Parade, who referred me to counselling, that really helped.

Roos Demol volunteers every week visiting the residents and informing us of events happening in the community, she is an amazing soul, she first took me to the Cork Migrant Centre and I never looked back, everything I have now done in Ireland started from there.

Interacting with people at Cork Migrant Centre

It’s mostly face-to-face, one on one, or in groups, listening is a key part of the work, and being aware of relevant services.

Dr Naomi and Sister Jo from the Nano Nagle Place are the key people within the network and recourse, from listening and knowing need, then analysing the situation and providing the support needed.

What is the biggest challenge in your volunteer work?

Language barriers are the biggest challenge and overcoming these barriers is key, because we all have different languages, but as a group other ladies from same countries can often help with translation.

When you’re not volunteering, working or raising your family – how do you unwind?

I now love running, I run with the Sanctuary Runners, I write, and I like joining writing groups, I also love learning and networking.

On weekends, I go to the Parkrun in the morning and spend time with my children, aged 15, 13, 11 and five. I love that. I don’t know if it’s just me but I love my Sunday sleep, some Sundays that will be my treat.

Any shout-outs...

Shout out to Dr Naomi, Sister Jo at the Cork Migrant Centre, Aontas, Joanne from Good Day Cork, Roos Demol, Graham and Catherine Glifford, Danielle and John McLaughlin, Arife, Joe, Sally and Surki - these people have now become family to me.

Ambitions for the future?

I have a Law degree from my home country, and completed my PGDip in Trauma Studies from UCC, and I have just completed Global Youth Work and Development from Maynooth University. My goal is to go back to Law, there is a huge gap for migrants, I will love to be part of filling that gap and meeting the needs for migrants in the area of Law.

Next week: Timothy talks to volunteers at The Kabin Studio.