Nawal

Nawal arrived in Sydney in 1995 speaking Arabic and French. Despite the language barrier, she decided she would do whatever it took to get an education and be able to support her children.

“I went to university studying full-time, while working part-time and looking after my young children,” the now 62-year-old explained.

“A year after arriving in Sydney, I became a resident of Evolve Housing. If I didn’t have that rental assistance support, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I did. I had a goal to achieve, and that’s what I set out to do.”

Determined, Nawal went on to complete three qualifications including a Master’s in TESOL (Teaching English for Speaking Other Languages), a Graduate Diploma in TESOL, and a Bachelor of Arts in Languages—all while raising her children single-handedly.

Her studies led her to full-time work at NSW AMES (Adult Migrant English Services), the same place where she learnt English after arriving in Australia.

This meant Nawal was no longer eligible for rent support, but later, due to her age and health issues, Evolve Housing resumed assisting Nawal with rent and housing.

Nawal knew she wanted to give back to Evolve Housing, one way or another. Four years ago, she decided to join the Resident Advisory Group (RAG) and she hasn’t looked back since.

“I’ve always appreciated the service and help I’ve been receiving from Evolve Housing as a resident. I thought this was a way to show my appreciation,” she said.

“It felt amazing when Evolve Housing approached me to join the team. I felt so special and I’m grateful to our tenants for appreciating my input.

“I do feel like I am doing them justice, by bringing their concerns to the table. One of the best things about the RAG is that we can show Evolve Housing the impact of their decisions from our perspective.

“We’ve helped Evolve Housing with many things such as suggesting contacting residents in different languages regarding surveys, telling them which contractors are better for maintenance, adjusting communication with letters, and most recently, giving our views on the brand-new tenant portal.”

Nawal commended Evolve Housing team members Robert Costa and Dyana Selim for managing the RAG and ensuring Evolve Housing implemented the group’s feedback to give all residents the best possible service.

“Dyana and Robert have been amazing. They are dedicated to their job and are both patient and very diplomatic. No one else could do what they are doing.”

Nawal is happy with her position on the RAG and hopes to continue being a spokesperson for Evolve Housing residents. “I personally am a positive person. Everything has a negative and positive side but if we focus on the positive side we can go forward and achieve what we can.”