Kifkun (كيفكن - which means “How are you all?” in Arabic) is a flagship Empowerment Ecosystems program designed to break the stigma around mental health in culturally diverse communities. This program started in multi-faith, Arabic-speaking communities in Melbourne’s Northern suburbs and uses a framework designed to work across diverse interfaith and intercultural settings.

Built by and for community members, Kifkun blends mental health literacy, social entrepreneurship, intercultural dialogue, and research to create an innovative model for mental health promotion that creates practical, culturally-embedded opportunities for people to learn about mental health and well-being in their daily lives, without being required to first overcome the many barriers to accessing programs and services that many migrant and refugee communities face.

Across migrant and refugee communities, many people do not access mainstream mental health services even though research shows that newly arrived communities often experience high levels of stress linked to migration, trauma, discrimination and settlement. This is not because people do not want help but instead reflects a disconnect between how mental health is framed and how communities understand their own realities.

Many people in migrant and refugee communities are more likely to think of well-being as being affected by: family conflict, poor sleep, work and money stress, parenting pressure, anger, isolation, or feeling worn down. When support is presented mainly through clinical language, many people do not see it as relevant. Additionally, stigma, fear of being exposed and lack of trust make people hesitant to seek help, even when they feel that they need it.

Young people often carry stress linked to identity, school, and peer pressure, but in many migrant and refugee families they also carry the weight of settlement, financial responsibility, trauma, and expectations of resilience, acting as de facto leaders, translators, and cultural brokers within their households. Parents and elders carry their own pressures, shaped by migration experiences, loss, and responsibility for family stability. These overlapping roles create tension and misunderstanding across generations, especially when there is no shared language for wellbeing or support.

Kifkun addresses these challenges by running regular, community-led wellbeing activities in familiar settings, using everyday language, training local people to lead the work, and providing clear, supported pathways into mental health services when needed. Kifkun also takes an intergenerational approach so that young people, parents, and community leaders can develop shared understanding, reduce conflict, and build clearer pathways to support.

Houssam Elsheikh
Counsellor

Houssam Elsheikh is a counsellor, hospitality trainer, and community educator with deep ties to migrant and refugee communities. His work is shaped by lived experience of migration and resettlement, which informs a grounded, practical approach to mental wellbeing. Houssam understands firsthand how stress, confidence, and mental health are shaped by work, stability, and a sense of purpose, not just by individual symptoms.

With extensive experience in hospitality training, education, and mentoring, Houssam focuses on building employability, routine, and confidence as foundations for wellbeing. His background in counselling and cross-cultural engagement allows him to work effectively across cultures and generations. As a program lead of Kifkun, he supports culturally embedded wellbeing activities that connect mental health conversations to practical outcomes such as education, skills development, employment pathways, and community participation.