A new not-for-group is aiming to give the South East’s vulnerable refugees a voice.
The RCAA Foundation’s director Parsu Sharma Luital said the aim was to add “authentic, grassroots voices of refugees directly into key national discussions”.
“Many people don’t understand that refugees are making positive contributions to Australia economically and socially. Part of the work of the foundation will be to change that.
“Many people also think that refugees come with problems and challenges.
“But they also come with solutions, skills, expertise and the opportunity to put forward and implement those solutions could materially benefit many lives.”
The RCCA Foundation is an extension of the national peak body Refugee Communities Association of Australia (RCAA).
It will work with refugee communities across Australia, including a particular focus on the refugee-rich South East Melbourne region.
The foundation will be chaired by settlement sector veteran and AMES Australia retiring chief executive Cath Scarth.
She said the foundation was about self-determination and agency for refugee communities.
“The foundation is an opportunity to build capacity within refugee communities to help them devise and deliver their own solutions to the challenges they face.
“We saw during the COVID pandemic the ability of refugee communities to rise above challenges and support each other.”
Director Elijah Buol OAM said the foundation would provide resources and financial support so they can achieve their goals and aspirations and fulfil their potential.
The foundation’s constitution states its object is “to provide direct assistance to people in Australia who are disadvantaged by poverty, illness, suffering, distress, misfortune, disability, destitution or helplessness so as to arouse compassion in the community, with a particular emphasis on migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and people from a culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who are at financial risk or in other vulnerable circumstances”.
