We aim to increase education opportunities and amplify the voices of youth from diverse backgrounds and wider communities to have a voice, heard and listening to. We want young people to have a sense of hope and identity, and to overcome enormous challenges to build a greater life in Australia and contribute something to the community and to Australian society while also give back to those in need in developing nations.
The Masomo Mbele (School First) Foundation provides specialised services to the Africans and Australians’ children, youth, parents, and community in Greater Shepparton. We build up communities by educating, advocating for, and providing early detection, preventive, and intervention programs in the areas of education, culture differences, employment, housing, health, social inclusion, family violence prevention, mental health, one on one therapy, safety, and career development.
We have been created to close gaps and forge connections among members of the Africans and Australians’ communities. We also offer advice to service providers already working with African communities and help schools, universities, businesses, organisations, service providers, and government organisations incorporate an inclusive culture into their operations. We are a local community-based-organization that aims to inspire and empower our local community to contribute in a meaningful way to improve the lives of those living without hope.
Our organization has always demonstrated a commitment to innovative practice that promotes education opportunities for vulnerable and underprivileged children and youth, social justice, and social change within the Greater Shepparton community, justice and other government agencies’ perceptions on refugee youth and eliminating myths about displaced people, especially children and youth by sharing their own journeys.
Our ability to truly comprehend the complexity and demands of African and Australians children and youth refugees and their culture gives us a distinct advantage in the support services we provide, bridging the gaps between the youth, parents, communities, and already-existing mainstream services. We value partnerships and seek to work as extensions with local schools such as yours and organizations working with refugees and who may require set skills and lived experience that we possess.
At Masomo Mblele we believe that education should be a right, and not a privilege. Every child has a right to learn and deserves access to a quality education.
Our Core Values
Our purpose is to empower and inspire local community to fight poverty and disadvantage, discrimination, injustice, inequality though education, inclusiveness, and social change. We empower and give hope to marginalized or most vulnerable African Australians children, young people, and their families from lower socioeconomic backgrounds through integration programs and settlement.
Our vision is helping Australians, Africans and refugees’ children, young people from diverse backgrounds, families, and their communities to have a sense of hope, belonging and feel included in Australia society.
Our mission is to create career development, sustainable access to education, employment, housing, healthcare, legal rights, childcare and network opportunities and build a bridge for African Australians young people and their families, particularly those of refugee background so that they can fulfil their potential and truly thrive and prosper here in Australia. We used our expertise and understanding of the system and challenges that young African Australians and their families go through in their integrations, which in turn diverts their focus and dignity and makes it hard to make Australia home.
Masomo Mbele offer holistic human services through companionship and recognition of human dignity. Our approach is gaining momentum around Greater Shepparton and within Australia with models being developed that aimed to integrate variations of education, including Introducing Legal Education and Free English classes, Declo Global Youth Conference, Homework Club and Digital Competency (Information Technology) and Skills Building Knowledge Programs and One-on-One Family Violence, Mental Health and AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs Therapy to the majority of refugees young people and adults who are experiencing mental health issues or at risk of become homeless, and their parents who suffer from terror, torture and violence from series of wars, experiencing family violence, social health, social care, inclusive legal and financial security and social support within co-located children, young people and parents focused hub. This will create an opportunity for collaborative learning and sustainable and effective young people and parents’ hub practice.
Our network offers other local Shepparton organisations the opportunity to consider how our “Masomo Mbele Foundation” will become an important “Front Door” to drive equitable access and quality cultural appropriate services and programs delivery in the Greater Shepparton Community, across the Goulburn Valley region and within Australia rural and remote regions.
MM believes that education and learning help maintain social cohesiveness by fostering social participation abilities and a broader understanding and of various lifestyles. This comprises communication abilities needed for day-to-day life, employment, and investment in both a domestic and international setting.
Ensuring our Australian children, migrants and young African-Australian refugees and their parents have the best possible start to life requires children and families to have equitable access to quality services and supports. One solution increasingly recognised around the Greater Shepparton community and across Goulburn Valley region is building connections between existing services to meet diverse needs of children, young people and their families.
