Community Voices Co-Design Our Next Creative Writing Journey
At Tawasul Foundation, we believe impactful programs are built with the community, not just for them. Following the success of our 2025 “Finding Your Voice” workshop, we recently hosted a local co-design focus group to shape the next chapter of this journey.
We brought together eight women from diverse backgrounds primarily Arabic and Surith (Syraic) speakers to share their insights on how creative writing can break isolation, foster healing, and drive connection.
The feedback was incredibly moving and provides clear direction for our upcoming initiatives.
What Our Community Told Us
- A Vital Antidote to Isolation: Attendees expressed the need for focused group activities like this. Participants highlighted how writing together helps counter resettlement challenges and language isolation, providing a safe space to connect with peers facing similar challenges.
- Empowered Language Learning: An exciting and unexpected outcome was how the activity motivated participants to write in English. The supportive environment pushed them to step out of their comfort zones and actively work on improving their language skills.
- Topics Close to the Heart: The women mapped out specific themes they want to explore in future sessions. These include deeply personal pieces like “letters to our children in the future” and memories from childhood, alongside more general, non-family-related topics.
Honouring Our Roots, Growing Our Future
This co-design session builds directly on our October 2025 workshop, beautifully led by Ashleigh Paholek (Founder of TIER Society), sponsored by Australia Post. That initial pilot proved that when daily life feels like a whirlwind of responsibilities, creative writing offers a rare, vital space for self-expression.
By taking the direct feedback from our recent focus group, we are ensuring that the next iteration of this program is grounded entirely in the real, lived experiences of local mothers.
Thank you to the incredible women who lent their time, courage, and ideas to this co-design session. Because at Tawasul, connection isn’t just our name, it’s our promise.
Stay tuned for details on any upcoming workshops.