What does wellbeing look like in the Chin community in Melbourne?

Purpose Victoria is one of the most diverse states in Australia. With emerging refugee communities such as the Chin community, it is important to consider steps to support and increase productivity of Chin community members to be active citizens. This study therefore aims to understand one of the most essential and fundamental aspect of living a productive life: Wellbeing. Design/methodology/approach Through the review of previous literature on refugees’ wellbeing including Chin people around the world, an interview method prevailed as the ideal method of data collection. A total of five active Chin community leaders across south-east and north-west of Melbourne were recruited as participants to represent more than ten thousand Chin(s) residing in Melbourne. Through the assistant of guiding questions prepared by the researcher, participants were interviewed individually via Zoom. Findings Responses across the five participants produce similarity yet unique results. Findings shows that a complete positive state of wellbeing is still a working process for settling Chin community members as negative appears to outweigh positive factors. Nonetheless, it is recommended that community workers, local councils and government to further strengthen their assistant and support in barriers and issues impacting the overall health and wellbeing of Chin community members. Research limitations/implications The sample in this study strictly focuses on the responses of five Chin community leaders and workers across Victoria and therefore it is difficult to generalise about the impact on the overall Chin community population in Melbourne. The majority of participants in this research revealed that they wore more than one hat in their service to the Chin community. For example, some community leaders were also serving as active and current volunteers and leaders in their Church groups. Due to this, it is uncertain whether this impacted the responses of participants such as prioritising religious perspectives above community perspectives. Originality/value Future studies will be appreciated to build on this research to further elaborate and identify other elements of wellbeing that could increase productivity and participation amongst Chin community members to improve their overall wellbeing.