After a horrific stabbing attack inflicted by her husband two years ago, Sayema was forced to start her life over, taking on sole responsibility for her children, their well being and their finances.
The violence she suffered left her with a range of financial and legal problems, all of which were amplified by the fact she was originally from Afghanistan with only basic English.
Through the help of her local community legal centre on the outskirts of Melbourne, Sayema had access to regular interpreters, a service she said has changed her life. 
"Without their help I would not have accomplished what I have accomplished today. Australia is such a multicultural country that interpreters are very important for people to understand their rights."
But financial and community counselling centres around Australia say the very translation services Sayema was able to access are under threat.
In   October last year the federal government announced changes to funding for translating and interpreting services for emergency relief and financial counselling programs.
The move has forced some organisations to dip into crisis funds normally used for food parcels, vouchers and financial support.
Chairwoman of Financial Counselling Australia Carmel Franklin said the changes ultimately made it harder to perform the tasks government is funding them to do.
"Government expects us to...provide financial counselling and related services, but in some cases, it's only possible to provide that if we have access to interpreters."Also the director of the Consumer Law Centre in the ACT, Ms Franklin estimated the service spent around $10,000 a year on interpreter services for newly arrived refugees.
"It seems like a small amount for government, but it makes a significant difference to us."
Principal solicitor at the Financial Rights Legal Centre Alexandra Kelly described the change as another example of the way government was "slowly chipping away at community services".
Under the Department of Social Services' 2013-14 financial management program, free access to translation and interpreter services was available to community centres.
However in 2014 organisations were informed access to such services was part of a "pilot program," and that future costs should be factored into their next funding application; a fact most centres say was not clear.
A spokesperson for Social Services Minister Christian Porter said a "Free Interpreting Service" was funded by the department, "to assist approved service providers in communicating with eligible non-English speakers".
"Approved service providers can access the FIS to support the delivery of programs that are not government funded. There have been no changes or funding cuts to the Free Interpreting Service," he said.
But Financial Rights Legal Centre coordinator Karen Cox said the fact that the pilot was going to be discontinued "was not well communicated by the Department" until the funding round had closed and budgets had been submitted.
Without the help of translator services, community centres would be unable to advise newly-arrived Australians on basic consumer rights and processes, said Rhonda Cumberland, from the Southeast Community Links centre outside Melbourne.
"Right now...we have some state money for interpreter services. But in the long run, with an average of six clients a day needing an interpreter, that will run out," she said.
Community Legal Centres will also be hard hit by changes in the sector after   June 30 this year, when they will need to seek funding from state governments.
Unlike other community organisations and migrant resource centres, Community Legal Centres do not have free access to the federal government translator and interpreter service.
"Whilst we expect funding to remain for NSW CLCs for 2016/17, we do not know what will happen when we reach the funding cliff of 2017/18, with a 25 per cent cut in Commonwealth funding [expected] for NSW community legal centres."said Alistair McEwin, Community Legal Centres NSW.