Moving to a new city is daunting at the best of times - but even more so when you don't know anyone and are jumping into unfamiliar cultural territory.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But a group in Dubbo is helping migrant women to overcome those obstacles through the power of sports.
"The migrant community in Dubbo is increasing and when they come here, they often don't know anyone, they're socially isolated and they don't have much money," Gargi Ganguly, a board member of ORISCON, said.
"Because of that we started recognising that many women and girls were not participating in mainstream activities.
"So we wanted to create a safe and welcoming environment that's culturally sensitive and promotes the benefits of physical activity and also community building by coming together."
On Saturday, November 4, ORISCON held their annual friendly netball carnival, the culmination of a year's training for about 50 women and girls from multicultural backgrounds.
Every year ORISCON invites Dubbo's Indigenous netball club, the Merindas, to help referee and coach the players, some of whom have never played netball before.
"They have been amazing. They also bring some of the younger players so they can start showing our women and girls some of the tricks of the mainstream competition ... it's a sort of a mentorship that is created," Ms Ganguly said.
"By coming together I hope we create a shared sense of identity and culture and promote the importance of reconciliation."
Ms Ganguly said on the day of the carnival there were also activities for kids so the players who are mothers could enjoy the games without worrying about organising childcare.
"We have to ensure that when we do any events that we do it in a family oriented and centred way," she said.
"Otherwise women are often the primary caregivers and caretakers and they wouldn't be able to play in peace because they would be so worried about their children.
"So we reached out to Creative Community Concepts for some activities for the children and got our elders involved to give the prizes... so it encourages the participation of families as a whole."
Ms Ganguly said the tournament also offers the players pathways into the mainstream sports teams.
"I do believe it's really important if we want to build a community and grow a community and get them to make Dubbo home," she said.
"I have lived here for years and I've loved living in Dubbo and I want to share my experiences of how beautiful this city is and how welcoming it is.
"And what better way to do it than to do it through sports... It can create a really friendly, non threatening and safe environment to pass on those messages that it's a great place to live."
Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.
