Progress: Implementing the Victorian African Communities Action Plan

Domain

Initiative

Progress update

Across all domains

Community Innovation Grants

$240,000 over one year

The Community Innovation Grants Program provided funding to African community organisations and community groups based in Victoria to deliver innovative community projects which supported the inclusion and participation of Victoria’s African communities.

• Program has concluded

• 21 organisations received funding and over 800 community members were engaged in activities including workshops, training programs, community social events, sport and seminars.

Employment

Community Employment Brokers

$2 million over two years

The Community Employment Brokers Program is supporting eight community organisations with significant reach into Victoria’s African communities to engage and host African community employment brokers to provide tailored support to jobseekers of African heritage.

• 350 jobseekers of African heritage have been assisted to find work and training opportunities in the first year of the program, with the second year of the program to commence in July 2022.

Education

Homework club grants, school community liaison officers and Senior Project Officer

$5.5 million over three years

The Homework Club Grants Program provides funding to community organisations to deliver homework clubs, including after school and parent engagement activities for African Victorian primary and secondary students.

School Community Liaison Officers work directly with African Victorian school students to help them engage in school, improve their wellbeing and enable them to reach their potential. The School Community Liaison Officers are based in host schools and work with a cluster of neighbouring schools with a high proportion of students with African heritage.

• The Homework Club Grants Program commenced in Term 3 (July) 2020 with 12 community organisations funded.

• Eight School Community Liaison Officers work with schools, playing a key role in engaging young people of African heritage and their families during COVID-19 period..

• The Department of Education employs a Senior Project Officer to support the coordination of the Victorian African Communities Action Plan education initiatives.

Leadership

Board and governance program

$240,000 over one year

The 2020 African Communities Board Leadership and Governance Program supported community leaders to gain training in governance and leadership.

• Program has concluded

• The program supported 44 emerging and established African Victorian leaders to strengthen their governance skills and further their board careers and community leadership through Australian Institute of Company Directors courses

Health and wellbeing

Alcohol and other drugs initiative

$600,000 over one year

This initiative employs drug and alcohol outreach workers to provide specialist services and referrals to other service as required. The initiative also delivers an education program to improve awareness of drug, alcohol and substance misuse as well as raise cultural competency of service providers hosting outreach workers.

• The Sunrise Project is an Alcohol and Other Drugs education and outreach project delivered by a consortium which includes Odyssey House, the African Australian Welfare Bureau (AAWB), the Positive Mental Health Program (PMHP) and Youth Support and Advocacy Services (YSAS).

• The Sunrise Project employs bicultural workers to support African young people in Greater Dandenong and the cities of Casey, Hume, Yarra, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley and Wyndham.