Every now and then, you have an experience through your work that stays with you long after you’ve packed up the laptop and headed home.
For us, our recent Money Matters workshops with Women’s Power of Inspiration (WPI) were exactly that.
Over two sessions, we had the privilege of spending time with an incredible group of women from refugee, migrant and culturally diverse backgrounds, sharing practical knowledge about money and navigating some of the financial systems we encounter in everyday life in Australia.
We went there to teach.
But we came away having learned plenty ourselves.
Who is Women’s Power of Inspiration?
Women’s Power of Inspiration (WPI) is a Logan-based registered charity founded by Esperance Nyirabarahinyuza.
WPI works with women from refugee, migrant and culturally diverse backgrounds, providing a place where women can connect with one another, develop practical skills and build confidence as they establish their lives in Australia.
Their work goes well beyond any single program. Through initiatives including English conversation, employment support, sewing and creative activities, wellbeing education and practical life skills, WPI is helping women overcome some of the barriers that can come with resettlement — including language and cultural differences, social isolation and difficulty accessing employment.
At the centre of it all is something very simple: connection.
Creating a community where women can learn together, support one another and build greater independence.
You can learn more about the wonderful work of Women’s Power of Inspiration at womenspower.org.au.
So, where does Money Matters come in?
Financial confidence is an important part of building independence.
Things many of us encounter regularly — reading a payslip, lodging a tax return, understanding superannuation or working out where our money has gone each month — can be confusing enough when you’ve lived in Australia your entire life.
Imagine trying to understand all of that while also adapting to a new country, a different language and an unfamiliar financial system.
That was the thinking behind Money Matters: Financial Confidence and Resilience for Women in Logan.
The program was supported through the Queensland Government’s Empowering Queensland Women Grant Program, and we were honoured to be invited by WPI to deliver the financial education component.
Across our two workshops, we explored:
- budgeting and managing everyday money
- saving and planning for the future
- understanding payslips
- tax and tax returns
- superannuation
- workplace rights
- building confidence when making financial decisions.
But while those were the topics on the agenda, Money Matters became about much more than numbers.
Financial knowledge creates choices
At Amarose, education has always been an important part of what we do.
We don’t believe good accounting is simply about preparing a tax return or telling someone how much tax they need to pay.
Whether we’re sitting across the table from a business owner or standing in front of a community workshop, our philosophy is much the same:
When people understand their numbers, they’re better equipped to make decisions.
Financial knowledge can help someone ask better questions.
It can help them recognise when something doesn’t look right.
It can give them the confidence to talk about money rather than avoid it.
And, over time, it can help create greater independence and more choices about the future.
That’s why financial education matters.
What we took away from the workshops
The part we’ll remember most wasn’t actually on any of our slides.
It was the women themselves.
They were engaged, curious and incredibly appreciative of the opportunity to learn. Questions were asked. Experiences were shared. Women helped one another understand concepts and conversations continued beyond what we’d originally planned to cover.
There was such a strong sense of community in the room.
We were also welcomed in a way we won’t soon forget — including sharing a delicious African lunch together and, by the end of our final session, even a bit of dancing!
It was warm, fun, humbling and genuinely memorable.
For all the knowledge we went there intending to share, we came home with an even greater appreciation for the courage involved in starting again somewhere new and for the difference a supportive community can make.
The story behind WPI makes their work even more powerful
Learning more about WPI and its founder, Esperance, made the experience particularly meaningful for us.
Esperance came to Australia as a refugee from Rwanda and, after experiencing her own periods of isolation, recognised that other women in the refugee and migrant community were facing similar challenges.
What began from that understanding has grown into a community where women can connect, learn practical skills, prepare for employment and support one another.
That’s a pretty powerful reminder of what can happen when lived experience, education and community come together.
Thank you, WPI
To Esperance and everyone at Women’s Power of Inspiration, thank you for trusting us with your community and welcoming us so warmly.
And to every woman who participated in Money Matters: thank you for your questions, your enthusiasm, your generosity and your willingness to share part of your story with us.
We hope we gave you some practical knowledge that will make navigating money in Australia a little easier.
You certainly gave us something in return.
You reminded us why education is such an important part of what we do.
Because accounting might be our profession, but ultimately, numbers are about people.
They’re about understanding where you are today, making informed decisions and creating more choices for tomorrow.
And everyone deserves the opportunity to feel confident about that.
Find out more
To learn more about Women’s Power of Inspiration and support the work they’re doing in the Logan community, visit Women’s Power of Inspiration.
And if your community group, workplace, organisation or event could benefit from practical, down-to-earth financial education, we’d love to help.
Our Amarose workshops are designed to make money topics easier to understand and, most importantly, useful in real life.
Find out more about Amarose Accounting’s group training and workshops.
Would you like us to present to your organisation or community?
We love helping people build confidence with money — and we believe financial education should be practical, accessible and easy to understand.
If you’re looking for an engaging, down-to-earth presenter for your workplace, community group, not-for-profit organisation, school, networking group or event, we’d love to hear from you.
Amarose Accounting offers a range of workshops, training and presentations covering practical financial topics for both individuals and business owners. We can also tailor our sessions to suit the needs and experience of your audience.
Whether it’s understanding everyday money, building financial confidence or helping business owners better understand their numbers, our goal is always the same: to give people practical knowledge they can actually use.
Interested in having Amarose come and present?
Contact us to discuss a workshop or training session and let’s talk about what would be most valuable for your group.