Supporting vulnerable refugees, advocating for, and building the capacity of grass roots refugee communities is the mission of a new not-for-profit organisation.
The RCAA Foundation is a refugee-driven organisation that aims to give refugees with lived experience a voice to government and in national conversations.
The foundation chair is settlement sector veteran and the retiring chief executive of settlement agency AMES Australia, Cath Scarth.
An extension of the Refugee Communities Association of Australia, the bi-partisan foundation aims to work with grassroots refugee communities in Australia to build their capacity, advocacy and agency.
The foundation has a particular focus on Melbourne’s northern suburbs, which are home to many refugee communities.
RCAA Foundation director Parsu Sharma Luital said the foundation aimed to make itscommunity work sustainable.
“We want to create opportunities to source resources that support refugee communities and empower them to have a voice in decisions that affect their lives,” he said.
“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.”
Ms Scarth 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,” Ms Scarth said.
Fellow foundation director Elijah Buol said the foundation was an extension of RCAA’s work in supporting refugee communities.
“Our mission is to support refugees and people seeking asylum and to empower them as well as to provide resources and financial support so they can achieve their goals and aspirations and fulfil their potential,” Mr Buol said.
