Our vision is that people and communities are resilient, thriving and able to contribute equally to a prosperous society.
Our Work
In Africa
In Sub-Saharan Africa, where over half of the population faces extreme poverty and disadvantage, we support partners that are strengthening the wellbeing and resilience of communities. Our work prioritises the most vulnerable, with a particular emphasis on rural communities and the urban poor.
The countries we focus on are Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In Australia
Our work in Australia seeks to support women and girls who are experiencing disadvantage to be safe, thrive and contribute to a just and prosperous society. We focus on people facing complex and unique forms of disadvantage, where gender intersects with race, age and remoteness.
We concentrate on First Nations women and girls, older women, refugee and migrant women and girls, and women and girls living in rural Australia.
Partner spotlight
We fund initiatives that challenge the status quo and promote innovative approaches.
Refugee Advice & Casework Service
People seeking asylum are among the most vulnerable in Australia’s legal system. The Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) exists to ensure they are afforded fair and equal access to justice. As a community legal centre, RACS offers free legal advice, assistance and representation for financially disadvantaged and vulnerable people seeking asylum in Australia.
Our partnership invests in the ‘Women at Risk’ initiative, aimed at providing specialised legal advice to women and their children seeking asylum, with an emphasis on women experiencing or at risk of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence, to secure their safety and rights. The aim is to help them find safety and protection in Australia.
The Judith Neilson Foundation is proud to partner with RACS, and shares in their vision to achieve justice and dignity with and for refugees through the Women at Risk initiative.
World Vision Australia
Health and Nutrition for All in Uganda with World Vision Australia
World Vision Australia’s Health and Nutrition for All initiative, in collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, is dedicated to strengthening maternal and child health care, improving clean water and sanitation infrastructure, and fostering nutritional awareness in communities across Uganda.
Aligned with local health providers, our initiative collaborates to support the critical first 1000 days of a child’s life, with a primary goal of significantly reducing preventable diseases and malnutrition through integrated health and nutrition services.
In addition to providing support to households affected by disabilities to adopt appropriate nutrition plans, this initiative is strengthening the capacity of local health services to provide tailored support to individuals with disabilities. By focusing on local solutions with local leadership, World Vision Australia is addressing critical health needs and cultivating healthier communities for generations to come. Discover more about World Vision Australia on their website.
Oxfam
Transforming education, transforming lives in Southern Africa with Oxfam Australia
Supporting girls to stay in school is essential in the fight against child marriage and pregnancy, gender-based violence, and economic inequity.
Our partnership with Oxfam Australia is investing in girls’ education in Malawi and Zimbabwe to create safe and inclusive learning environments for adolescent girls, young women, and children in vulnerable situations. Working alongside governments and local communities, Oxfam is rolling out essential learning resources, improving access to sexual and reproductive health services, installing girl-friendly toilets, and establishing social support networks for mothers and girls.
Oxfam’s approach challenges and changes the conditions that limit girls’ educational opportunities, working towards a more equitable world where every child has the chance to learn, grow and thrive. Learn more about Oxfam in Malawi and Zimbabwe at their website.
Save the Children
Save the Children Australia’s teacher-led malaria defence in Malawi
In Malawi, ranked among the top 20 countries for the highest rates of malaria, around 2 million school children experience this disease every year, endangering their health and disrupting their education. Save the Children Australia is working with the Malawi Government and local educators to introduce healthcare into classrooms, focusing on the management of uncomplicated malaria cases and other basic health concerns during school hours.
Concentrating on schools in vulnerable areas in Zomba and Machinga districts, our partnership will equip an additional 600 teachers to diagnose and treat malaria using Learner Treatment Kits, safeguarding 220,000 students across 150 schools. By striving for a 30% reduction in malaria-related illnesses, we’re integrating health services with education and mobilising community and government support. This initiative is a critical step towards reducing malaria’s impact on children’s health and education in Malawi, ensuring they have the opportunity to attend school and thrive.
We Care Solar. Light Every Birth Malawi
Every mother has the right to safe childbirth in a clean, well-lit facility. In Malawi, unreliable electricity in rural health centres compromises this every day. We Care Solar’s ‘Light Every Birth’ initiative is designed to meet the critical needs of maternal health workers in remote facilities, ensuring that every delivery room is well-lit, safeguarding the lives of mothers and their health providers.
In collaboration with Malawi’s Ministry of Health, We Care Solar is lighting up maternity wards across Malawi, installing ‘Solar Suitcases’, training women technicians to lead solar installations, and engaging midwives for optimal use of the technology.
Light Every Birth is set to transform healthcare for mothers and newborns across Malawi, granting health workers the ability to perform safely and confidently in well-lit facilities. We are proud to partner with We Care Solar to light a path to a safer, healthier future for mothers and their children in Malawi. Learn more about We Care Solar’s Light Every Birth initiative at their website.
Photo credit: We Care Solar.