Four years after aspiring cook Faiza Somo left Iraq in fear for her family's safety, she's planting new beginnings with the help of her local women's group.
The 62-year-old had been studying English when she stumbled upon Seed of Hope, a collective of migrant and refugee women based in southwestern Sydney.
Discriminated against because of her Christian faith in Iraq, Ms Somo and her family sought refuge in Australia in 2020.
"I'm a social person ... I like to be around people and I don't like to stay home and just do nothing," she told AAP.
"(Now) I've learned to love myself and to feel confident in myself, and there's nothing that can stop me."
The program, located in Fairfield, is one of many designed by non-profit group Think + Do Tank, who aim to connect disadvantaged people with creative opportunities and resources.
The women meet weekly to socialise and work on textiles, painting, sewing, cooking, writing and music projects.
"When we enable the women, we enable the whole family," said the creative hub's community director Afaf Al-shammari.
"The women kept saying things like 'I really don't know where to go ... I can't speak the language ... I am unemployed, and I really feel isolated ... I can't see any opportunities for me'."
"Through the work, they feel hope ... they feel inspired and connected," she said.
Other programs on offer include an online bookshop boasting about 80 languages and a writing residency.
An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report published last year found refugees, regardless of their country of origin, were far less likely than the broader population to self-report mental health conditions.
Humanitarian entrants were more likely to be dispensed mental health-related medications than other permanent migrants, with the rate 50 per cent higher among refugee women than their male counterparts.
Flinders University Professor Anna Ziersch said art therapy was an effective tool for mental wellbeing and communication when language barriers were present.
“The capacity to build connections is very crucial for wellbeing, but the connections can also help these women with other aspects of resettlement (more practically),” she said.
“How do you engage with the school that your child is going to? ... How do you go shopping? ... How do you speak to your neighbours?”
Although participants are mostly female, Think + Do Tank's doors are open to the wider community.
Most of the foundation's staff are volunteers as funding remains tight amid a cost of living crisis.
Ms Somo now volunteers as a cook with the group who helped her obtain a qualification in food supervision.
"Women are lonely and have no friends, no social life, when they first come here, so this (organisation) is very important to get them socialising with other people," she said.
