There is a window of time, when life can feel isolating and challenging, especially for those in the early stages of motherhood and all that brings. Often, having an authentic exchange with others, in which you feel understood- and most importantly safe- can radically improve outcomes for parents and children.
Melbourne Muslimahs is a charity organisation based in Victoria that supports vulnerable women in the community, helping them achieve better outcomes. This is done through the development and delivery of programs, providing social and practical support, as well as connecting women to local support services.
One such service is playgroup, created for mums and children.
With a toddler and a new baby on the way, playgroup has helped Ikra to expand her network and find a sense of belonging in a new area. A fellow mum from playgroup came over for a playdate: “That was beautiful and I would not have met her, had I not come here.”
“It is those micro social interactions during the week that really really make the week go well.”
“I think, especially as a mum, your mental health is so important. Those small micro social interactions, especially on a day where he [son] is over stimulated, we go in the pram, we go for a walk, and I’ll run into her at CS square and I’ll talk to her for a bit then I run into another mum.”
Ikra has found the point of connection at Melbourne Muslimahs playgroup valuable, helping her to settle and feel known in her experiences as a mum.
“It’s so different and you know what I realised, everyone is in their own houses with their own struggles, thinking you are the only person having a sleepless night and struggling with teething and struggling with this and then you come here and someone says, ‘I didn’t sleep last night’ and I’m like, ‘me too’! You just feel better about it and you think, I’m glad I’m not alone in this, so that’s been nice, I’ve loved it.”
Proximity is a consequential factor in the outcomes of families. The social touchpoints and support services need to be walkable and near public transport for many parents and carers.
This playgroup is housed in a community hub space, metres away from the local school.
Susan has three children that attend the school across the road and she enjoys being close to bring her two youngest to playgroup. She loves that it creates a togetherness within the community where there is support for each other.
“It is a great lesson [to be a mum] to see new life and see what we are all going through at the moment all together and it’s great.”
“This supports my own mental health and we have something to look forward to. That Wednesday is the day that you come and you come together, support each other. Mums support each other, the kids come and interact with each other so it’s good.”
“It’s that sense of belonging that families have, it’s just so good and they know that they have that thing.”
Many of the mums say that Melbourne Muslimahs playgroup has enabled them to find a safe space where they feel comfortable and cared for.
Shereen looks forward to coming each week with her two young boys, spending time with the other mums who also have children around the same age as her kids.
“It is just a sense of comfort.”
Shereen said that a big part of that comfort has been created by the playgroup leader, Shelby.
“Shelby is very welcoming and kind and always smiling. Sometimes, even I know with my kids, it can be a bit difficult but she deals with it really well. Sometimes I get nervous like what should I do, because they are still learning themselves-she makes it, I guess that’s part of it, she makes it feel really comfortable and then the other mums too as well, which you can see which is really nice. Everyone pitches in, whether it’s helping to set up, whether it’s helping to clean up, whether it’s helping to defuse the kids. I think that is what makes me feel a sense of belonging here.”
Shelby started the playgroup in Caroline Springs in June of 2025. She has also started one in Broadmeadows. Both have been recipients of Playgroup Victoria’s Great Start program which helps new playgroups to establish.
Before beginning, a part of Shelby’s work had been volunteering at the children’s hospital, as part of the Starlight Foundation.
Shelby has an easy rapport with kids and families, setting the tone for the gathering.
As soon as people start arriving at playgroup, the children gravitate towards her.
“Shelby, Shelby,” they say, reaching for her hand. “Shelby look at my artwork!”, “Shelby come and play with me!”
This enables the mums to sit and talk, catch up and have a cuppa, knowing their children are happy and safe in the space.
Mouzayan has got to know Shelby over the past nine months with her two boys.
“She knows how to bring them happiness and she knows how to deal with everyone you know and the kids love her a lot. She is such a lovely person and she is so kind, always smiling.”
Shelby said that the parents and carers come from all around the world. Some parents are from overseas and don’t have many family or friends in the area.
That is the case for Urooj, who originates from Sri Lanka and has a four-month-old baby and toddler. She said when she comes here to playgroup, she feels better.
She said that playgroup makes her happy because all the mums are together, otherwise she is often home alone with her two children while her husband is at work, with her extended family overseas.
Urooj is so pleased to see everyone and her new baby is lovingly welcomed by the group.
Shelby loves being able to create this space to connect other mums who are experiencing similar things and from there, they can take the connection outside.
“They will exchange numbers, they will catch up in their spare time and I am just really happy to know that they are forming these little communities themselves and having that friend because we all need it.”
For mum Mouzayan, the playgroup provides her with much-needed social support.
“Community means a lot to me because I don't have my own family nearby. My husband's family is here, but everyone has their own responsibilities and busy schedules. Being able to come to playgroup gives me a chance to connect with others and feel supported.”
“Technology helps us stay in touch, but it's very different from meeting people in person. As a parent, it's important to have opportunities to talk with other adults, share experiences, and build real connections.”
“My experience of motherhood with my second child has been very different from my first. Through playgroup, I've met wonderful people and built friendships that have made this stage of life much more enjoyable.”
“It has been a lovely journey. When I became a mother for the first time, I wasn't aware of playgroups, so I missed out on many of the opportunities and support they provide. Being part of a playgroup now has given me a chance to learn from other parents, exchange ideas and watch my children grow and interact with others in a welcoming environment.”
This experience resonates with Khadra. At playgroup, she loves to see other people, to share stories, oftentimes to share different food, all of which supports her wellbeing.
“You feel like you are finding some of your community, though we came from different backgrounds, different areas, still you feel like some of your community you are meeting here and have the connection.”
As facilitator, Shelby echoes the positive impact the group has had for all involved.
When the opportunity became available for Shelby to facilitate and volunteer her time once her kids began school, she quickly realised how beneficial it is for the wider community and feels that more with each week that goes by at playgroup.
“I have just loved it. Loved every moment of it.”
“I feel like once I started and realised how important it is for new mums, maybe pregnant mums with toddlers, and just having a space safe where they feel like they can connect with mums experiencing similar things to themselves. I felt like that is exactly what I would have wanted when I had my children and that is why I have really committed myself to trying to make this happen, whether it be this location and others, I just feel like it has brought such an importance to the community and connection and friendships.”
It is important here at Melbourne Muslimahs that faith is shared and respected. Mum Shereen likes that their faith is woven through the playgroup, but in a subtle way. They have themes that they share. This week it is nature. They share important messages through their storytime and in the songs they share. They also bring different foods that celebrate their cultures, as food is such an important touchstone to home and identity.
“I do find here with our organisation, Melbourne Muslimahs, we have had the opportunity to offer a culturally appropriate space,” said Shelby.
“We do and try and create some of our themes around our Islamic foundation, whether that be implementing activities for the children, such as teaching them the importance of our faith and also just being able to have a women’s only space. Our families just feel comfortable, they feel accepted and they feel like they can practice their faith in a place where they are accepted.”
As a successful Great Start program recipient, Melbourne Muslimahs playgroup was provided with resources, mentoring and funds to set-up their group with equipment such as books, craft supplies, outdoor play gear and appropriate baby play mats and toys.
Shelby and her community aim to make the playgroup space affordable for families, while offering a variety of activities and engagement opportunities.
“Being approved for the Great Start program, it means that we can upgrade our supplies in the playgroup room to allow our families to get a full experience and also look into things like potentially doing an excursion or incursion so our families feel like they get lots of opportunities.”
As part of the Great Start initiative, Shelby worked alongside Liz Genez, the Great Start program officer from Playgroup Victoria. Liz helps new playgroups to set-up and establish themselves with ongoing mentoring. Shelby said that working with Liz allowed her to bring some of her ideas to life, feeling supported to do so.
“I felt like being able to sort of express our journey and what our achievements and our goals were in the playgroup room and have someone being able to give great advice as well as sort of holding my hand along the journey- if I had anything that I was concerned about or wasn’t sure about, I feel like she just gave me the chance to blossom.”
And blossom Shelby does, alongside the families. The mums value the playgroup, for without, they would miss out on this connection- which cares for them and each other- and therefore, their children.
“I can see that we really need to build a little village and that just helps so much more because you have these people you can depend on, these people who you can connect to and also you are not alone.”
Ikra has enjoyed the term at playgroup and knows that she has a support network here, with so many familiar faces now a part of her life as her family grows.
“When my second baby is here, Shelby said we are all in this together,” Ikra laughs.
The playgroup is here for the families and because of them. As the morning draws to a close, the group feels buoyed, knowing that this is a place where they are welcomed with their little ones so that everyone can make a great start from one week to the next.
The playgroup is here to enrich the experience of what it is to be part of a family, a friendship, a community.
Connect with Melbourne Muslimahs Playgroup
Article by Sinead Halliday
Photography by Mylie Nauendorf