As human beings we deserve equality, so we value and respect everyone, no matter who you are.”
Jackline Dada, member of QPASTT’s Support Services Team since 2008
“Working with QPASTT keeps opening me up all the time. Sometimes you say ‘okay, I’m from a refugee background, I’ve been going through all this,’ and you can be in your own box. But at QPASTT, you realise that you’re not alone. It’s not only my country that has experienced war and other problems. Torture, trauma and conflict is happening in many countries all over the world. Being exposed to all these people gives you more awareness and you grow as a person.
Having a personal experience as a refugee helps me to relate to our clients and work to make their experience with QPASTT one of softness and support. People can see that we have love and care, that we understand what they have been going through, and that we welcome them with open arms.
Here at QPASTT, we are dealing with emotions, which is different from other places I’ve worked. We’re supporting human beings to come to terms with what they have been through. To do this work, you really need a sort of softness, a tenderness in how you respond to people. We know that no matter where you come from, what matters is what we carry inside of us. As human beings we deserve equality, so we value and respect everyone, no matter who you are.”
25 Years of Welcome – QPASTT’s Support Services Team
As part of our 25 year celebrations, we’re sharing the reflections of our Support Services team. They are the first point of welcome for our clients, stakeholders and staff. They are highly skilled, demonstrating the power of presence and kindness each day and creating a safe space to hold people in moments of great pain and distress.
While their stories share their thoughts on what it takes to cultivate this daily practice of kindness, care and dignity for people who have endured so much, their common reflection is of how supporting refugee survivors at QPASTT has been a consistent source of personal and professional growth that continues to deepen their own empathy and compassion.
