Last updated 11:45 26/10/2011

You would be hard pressed to find a fuller full circle.

Bhutanese man Tara Ghimire arrived in Palmerston North in 2008 after living at a Nepalese refugee camp. He has been volunteering for Refugee Services, assisting a Bhutanese couple in Feilding who have little English.

Mr Ghimire and 17 other volunteers received certificates in refugee resettlement support at an appreciation evening last week. To obtain the NZQA-approved qualification, they had to complete 17 1/2 hours training and a six month field work placement with a refugee family.

Mr Ghimire has first-hand experience of the difficulties refugees can encounter settling in.

Mr Ghimire's wife Rita Acharya also assisted the Feilding couple. The Bhutanese refugee arrived in New Zealand just a few months after Mr Ghimire. They met at English Teaching College and have a two-month-old son Daniel.

Mr Ghimire is studying business at Te Wananga O Aotearoa and would like to open a small business such as a restaurant.

With the new baby, he is too busy at the moment to help other former refugees through Refugee Services but will continue helping informally.

Peter MacGillivray jokes he become a Refugee Services volunteer as he had time on his hands.

But more seriously the 81-year-old says he had a lot to do with overseas students when he was a lecturer at Massey University.

"I could see some of the difficulties of them fitting in."

So he thought he would offer his services to help a former refugee couple settle into Palmerston North and enjoyed every minute of it.

"It was everything I expected it to be."

Three months after starting his six month placement with the Bhutanese couple, the family became three, when the wife gave birth to a boy, Rhythm. Mr MacGillivray still sees the family regularly.

He is an example of the adage if you want something done ask a busy person.

He is involved with Manawatu Breathe Easy Support Group, is a lay preacher at St David's Church, is noted for organising reunions, and volunteers at the Esplanade Scenic Railway where he calls himself the "Fat Controller"

The function also marked Refugee Services' move to the former Guthrie Bowron premises in Taonui St.

Officially opening the new office, MP Iain Lees-Galloway said that it was physically bigger showed how important and influential Refugee Services had become.

Mr Lees-Galloway said he had heard some of the stories of families who had resettled in Palmerston North – they were all different, all challenging. He said it was amazing families hold it together as they made the big move; to be a volunteer helping them takes someone "magnificent".

Refugee Services Aotearoa New Zealand chief executive Heather Hayden said that the paid staff were squashed in their old Main St office was testament to the success manager Kevin Petersen had in finding ways to increase the support offered.

She shared the story of Refugee Services' financial manager who came to New Zealand as a 16-year-old with no English. She is now sitting her chartered accountancy exams and credits her success to the volunteer she had all those years ago.

Refugee Services Manawatu staff are Mr Petersen, two social workers, intake co-ordinator, volunteer supervisor, community development worker, a case worker and two cross-cultural workers.

- Tribune