Finding the path to independence

Finding the path to independence for Waterford migrants

 By LYNDA LAWTON, Waterford Chamber

For most of us, it is impossible to imagine fleeing for your life from a war-torn country or a city with the utmost corruption, but for over 5,000 people in Waterford and the South East, that is a stark reality.

Thankfully for them, they have made their way safely to our shores and with the help of Waterford Integration Services, a humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), they have begun to slowly build a new life for themselves.

Many are young adults, sent by their families who have handed over their life savings to give just one family member a chance. Here in Waterford, they seek out education, a place to call home and a chance to earn a living so they can send money home to the rest of their family who are still living in unimaginable conditions.

Waterford Integration Services work with Waterford City & County Council, Embassies, Immigration Department, other NGOs, agencies, academics and the private sector to provide a variety of supports to their clients, including advocacy, integration, human rights resources, professional service referrals, access to English language classes, outreach, integration activities, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation, and policy development.

Access to education is an ongoing issue in Direct Provision Centres but the coming together of Elaine Fennelly, CEO of Crystal Valley Tech and Anne Nolan of Waterford Integration Services, during the Waterford Chamber Regional Leaders Programme, has resulted in the business community stepping up in support of our migrant residents.

Working together, Anne and Elaine very quickly figured out a way that the ICT firms of the South East could support vulnerable

migrants. Many ICT firms replace laptops quite frequently to keep up with the demands of hungry software, so they often have a pool of second-hand laptops. After an initial appeal by Elaine who is in regular contact with tech firms in the region, Sun Life Finacial and Radius Technologies, both based in Waterford, donated 30 second-hand laptops to support the development of technology skills, programme access and delivery and assist with home schooling.

According to Anne, “The laptops have made a huge difference in terms of training and education. We work closely with WWETB, and having access to technology has allowed our clients to upskill and get ready for the workforce. A lot of these people are highly educated but their qualifications don’t necessarily transfer to Ireland, so they need to requalify or upskill with added language and technology competency.

“We are appealing to the business community to consider migrant workers for open roles. They are desperate to work and contribute to the economy. Securing jobs is a major step on their journey to independence and having a diverse workforce can only be of benefit to our community.”

Waterford Integration Services host a number of cultural events throughout the year, including the ever popular Africa Day, and this year held ‘Choose to Challenge’ as part of International Women’s Day, with a host of inspirational speakers and the support of Waterford Library Services and Europe Direct Waterford.

“It was a fantastic event and our speakers were honest and open about the challenges and opportunities they have faced in their lives,” said Anne. “We want to inspire our migrants and lead them on the path to success and independence and with the help of the Waterford community, we can do just that.”  For further information, vist www.

waterfordintegrationservices.ie