Access Youth Officer Chrystal Ilalio Fonoti is making quite the impact in the lives of young refugees, with two of our Settlement and Transition clients delighted and grateful for her support, guidance and direction.

Fiston and Bashir have lived in Australia for a little over 18 months with Chrystal as their caseworker – and their feedback has been nothing but glowing.

“If you are a new person in a country, the first person you meet will determine a lot about how your experience is, and Chrystal has just been so great,” Fiston said.

“Chrystal has been so nice and welcoming and gave me the courage to speak up. She has connected me to many support services as well as a soccer club so I can meet more people.

“She’s provided great information on Australian culture, how to speak English better, and how to use public transport, and I now feel able to do a lot more by myself.

“The way Chrystal helps and treats clients inspired me to do a certificate in Community Services, so I can do similar work in the future.”

Bashir had similar praise, saying he appreciated how personalised her support was.

“The support I get from Chrystal is always aimed at my needs – I am really interested in music and I was encouraged to attend the BEMAC lyric writing workshop,” he said.

“I feel very connected in Australia, I am playing soccer, I am an artist and involved in music, I have done a Certificate in Visual Arts and I am now enrolling in a Diploma of Visual Arts.”

Bashir was also recently a finalist in Brisbane City Council’s QUBE Effect, produced by BEMAC, which Chrystal encouraged him to enter.

We are always so touched when we hear such wonderful feedback about our Youth Officers. This dedicated team strives to get the best outcomes for their clients and encourages them to pursue their goals and dreams.

Thank you to Chrystal, and all our Youth Officers, for your enthusiasm and commitment!

If you want to find out more information about how Access is creating better outcomes for young migrants and refugees, visit our Multicultural Sports Club and Multicultural Youth Queensland Facebook pages.