Making a difference: the vital role of refugee support volunteers
7 March 2025
Volunteers help the new Kiwi families with essential tasks such as setting up homes, visiting local schools, attending medical appointments, and learning about their local community.
Rose Osborne sits in the lounge of a former refugee family’s home in a quiet Palmerston North suburb. A cheerful two-year-old boy is perched happily on her knee while his mum, Sabekun, is working at her donated sewing machine. Their conversation in Banga fills the room with warmth and familiarity – a small but significant step in settling into their new life.
A journey to safety and hope
Ahsan Ullah, 26, and Sabekum Nahar, 21, and their two boys, aged 5 and 2, have been in their new home for just over three months. The family are Rohingya and all of them were born in a Kutupalong refugee camp, near Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.
“In Bangladesh we were scared, we didn’t have citizenship, the children couldn’t go to school, we couldn’t even buy a SIM card. Here we are safe. I can study and follow my dreams,” says Ahsan.
Refugee support volunteers like Rose play a crucial role in helping families like Ahsan’s as they adjust to their lives in Aotearoa. Working with New Zealand Red Cross refugee settlement team in the Manawatū, Rose has been supporting new Kiwi families since 2016. “They may come from a different hemisphere. Their whole identity has been shaken up, and they experience a very different language. They are turning a complete new page,” says Rose.
This is the first time this young family has felt the freedoms and rights we often take for granted. At the same time, they need to learn the systems we all live by in Aotearoa to settle well. This is where our local refugee support volunteers play a vital role alongside dedicated case workers.
The vital role of refugee support volunteers
Former refugees become permanent residents of New Zealand when they arrive under the quota system. They have the same rights as other New Zealand permanent residents. Many former refugees are unfamiliar with everyday systems such as banking or connecting to the internet. Volunteers play a vital role in explaining these processes and helping families become independent.
Ahsan Ullah, Sabekum Nahar and their two sons
“Some people have never been able to have a bank account. We help them to use their new accounts and connect their phone to the Wi-Fi. Our role is to help them adapt to New Zealand and the systems we have in place, so it requires a lot of explanation,” says Rose.
Rose, who speaks Bangla fluently, thinks that language skills can be helpful, but they are not a requirement to become a volunteer. Previously, Rose worked in Dhaka in Bangladesh as an administrator for a non-government medical organisation and studied at a local language school.
When she starts a placement with a new family, Rose works with one or two other volunteers in a tight team. “We work together to unpack household goods and set up the house before they arrive. We pick them up from the airport and organise a meal with familiar food to welcome them. Often it is a very emotional time when they step into their new home – many have been waiting for years.”
“You need to be efficient with your time but at the same time kind, so they aren’t shy to ask for help. Sometimes you have to draw requests from them. It may be the first time they have experienced that sense of freedom to ask, instead of fear of being denied. It’s empathy but also guiding them to start making their own choices – their first steps towards independence,” says Rose.
The power of volunteering
New Zealand Red Cross needs at least 26 more volunteers to help former refugees settle in Palmerston North and Levin. All volunteers receive full training and work alongside caseworkers for a three-month placement, dedicating just a few hours each week.
Refugee support volunteer Rose Osborne with Ahsan Ullah, Sabekum Nahar.
Tina Larsen, New Zealand Red Cross Volunteer Lead in Palmerston North says, “we can’t do the breadth of our work without our invaluable volunteers.”
“We’re providing training sessions for new volunteers on 22 February, 20 and 21 March in Palmerston North and 13 and 14 March 2025 in Levin. The course gives them valuable skills so they can create a positive experience for refugee families arriving in both towns,” says Tina.
Rose encourages other people in Palmerston North and Levin to volunteer. “If you like helping people it is a great thing to do in your community. It’s a fabulous way to welcome new people and an incredibly useful role – nothing you do is wasted. It doesn’t take a lot of your time to do a huge amount.”
A life-changing experience
For the families our volunteers support, the impact is life-changing. For Ahsan, Sabekun and their family, staying connected is an important part of their ability to settle here in New Zealand. They are starting to feel more rested and relaxed in their new home. “They’ve already planted a vegetable garden. The five-year-old boy now has a little bike and proudly rides it to his school, accompanied by his father. He adores his teacher,” Rose says.
“Recently, we were returning by car from a shopping trip and Sabekun was filming the sky with her phone, saying ‘look at these clouds, they are so amazing!’ It was a lovely moment she was feeling her freedom.”
Rose says the role has huge rewards. “For me, the Red Cross migration team is phenomenal, and we have a lot of support from Tina, our Volunteer Team Lead. Each new family I work with is different, with unique needs. To be able to assist them is such a privilege”.
As Rose waves goodbye to the family as she leaves after her visit, the little boy gives her the double thumbs up.
Will you be part of this life-changing work? Join us as a refugee support volunteer today.
More information
If you would like to volunteer to help former refugees settle in Palmerston North and Levin please go to
Or contact the Call Centre 0800 733 2767
Learn more about New Zealand Red Cross’ settlement and employment services for former refugees.
Lead photo: Refugee support volunteer Rose Osborne with Ahsan Ullah, Sabekum Nahar, and their two sons.