Our partners

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

In the densely populated informal settlements of Kenya and Zambia, where reliable access to water and power is a challenge, toilets are critically scarce. Without proper sanitation facilities, diarrheal diseases spread, students are deterred from attending school, and women and girls face risks leaving their homes after dark. Together with local communities, Fresh Life is expanding its network of innovative toilets in Nairobi, Kenya, and Lusaka, Zambia.

Fresh Life Toilets are installed by young locals employed by Fresh Life, and become shared facilities that are managed and maintained by local residents as small enterprises. Designed to operate without water or power, the toilets use a container-based dry technology to ensure that waste is securely contained, collected, transported, and treated & disposed of. Led by community need, Fresh Life Toilets are operating in residential areas, busy market centres and schools to improve hygiene and safety, resulting in higher school attendance rates. For more details about Fresh Life’s impactful work and technology, visit their website.

Investing in Zambia’s small-scale farmers and wildlife conservation with COMACO

Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) creates partnerships with smallholder farmers across Zambia, combining conservation and sustainable farming practices to improve livelihoods and enhance their resilience against future shocks.

COMACO’s model incorporates agroforestry and market incentives, allowing for higher farming yields without chemical inputs and improving the capacity of farming cooperatives. This feeds into the production of COMACO’s ‘It’s Wild!’ food products, promoting nutrition and economic sustainability.

As a result, incomes are on the rise, food and nutrition security is improving, and wildlife is being revived in the Luangwa Valley and around Kafue National Park, marking a stride toward a sustainable future for Zambia’s communities and their environment. Learn more about COMACO’s work by visiting their website.

Photo Credit: Comaco

ygap works at forefront of economic empowerment in Kenya and South Africa, investing in the power of local entrepreneurs. ygap makes it easier for entrepreneurs to get capital, particularly those led by women and operating in rural areas.

ygap supports businesses by helping to grow the skills and resources they need to create jobs and attract investment. This is particularly important for women-owned businesses, and ensuring local business practices are sustainable. We are proud to work in partnership with ygap and share their commitment to reducing economic inequality through inclusive growth. To learn more about ygap and its impact, visit their website.

The Akashinga, which means ‘The Brave Ones’ in Shona, are a remarkable team of women wildlife rangers. They protect nature conservation areas across 9 million acres in Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania.

Akashinga began in Zimbabwe with a group of just 16 women, all survivors of assault or impacted by AIDS or HIV. Through the organisation’s investment in local infrastructure and social impact, the lives of the Akashinga women have been transformed. Additionally, their communities have experienced significant improvements in healthcare, education, access to clean water, and sustainable employment opportunities.

The Akashinga rangers are changing perceptions of women in conservation, proving time and time again that women can and should lead in the protection of nature and wildlife. If you would like to learn more, please visit their website.

In Uganda’s refugee settlements and neighbouring communities, girls and young women face significant challenges such as child marriage, pregnancy, and gender-based violence. In partnership with Plan International Australia, the Supporting Ugandan Girls in Crises initiative is supporting vulnerable women and girls in the Adjumani district by unlocking opportunities for economic growth, improving access to maternal and sexual health services, and nurturing positive cultural norms within their communities. It’s an approach that addresses immediate needs and aims to drive long-term societal change.

By strengthening community resilience and working for sustainable change, our partnership with Plan Australia aims to create a brighter, more equitable future for these girls and young women. For more details about Plan Australia’s impactful work in Uganda, please visit their website.

In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, the King George VI Centre is bringing equitable access to quality education to students with disabilities.

The King George IV School integrates disabled and non-disabled students, providing a vocational curriculum that nurtures independence and self-reliance to shift societal norms. We are proud to partner with King George VI Centre and share in their vision of integrating and promoting disability inclusion in the education sector. To learn more, visit their website. 

In the Masiphumelele township of Cape Town, MasiSports is harnessing the transformative power of sport and culture in schools to invest in young people.

MasiSports integrates sports and life skills into school programs to strengthen community bonds and promote gender and racial equity. Their approach fosters resilience and confidence in children and teenagers, helping them to make positive choices and unlock new opportunities for a prosperous future. To discover more about MasiSports’ impactful work in Masiphumelele, visit their website.

Cape Town Opera makes a rich contribution to South African culture and national identity, with a commitment to community and inclusion. Its Arts Access for All initiative brings performances to diverse audiences, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, schools, and older people. The National Schools Program takes concerts across South Africa, and focuses on music education and mentorship for young people from rural and township areas.

The Judith Neilson Foundation believes in the transformative power of the arts and culture. Our partnership with Cape Town Opera shares a commitment to fostering inclusive community development and enhancing community resilience. For more information, visit Cape Town Opera’s website.  

At the heart of Sydney’s grassroots response to supporting women transitioning from prison stands the Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre (WAGEC). This leading trauma-informed service provides crisis support, accommodation, and wrap-around support to some of Sydney’s most vulnerable women and their children. In addition to providing immediate aid, WAGEC confronts broader issues such as domestic violence, homelessness and gender inequality, with the goal of securing safe futures for women and their families. 

Through our partnership, WAGEC has launched the FROM NOW program. FROM NOW is a new approach to supporting women exiting prison, with special support for pregnant women or those with children, guiding them towards safety and stability. We value our collaboration with WAGEC and encourage you to explore their powerful work by visiting their website.

Steered by a passionate commitment to supporting women experiencing economic abuse, the Centre for Women’s Economic Safety advocates for social, service and system change to advance women’s economic safety in Australia. Our partnership has launched the Sydney Money Clinics, a safe space for women experiencing domestic and family violence to access free financial guidance.

Our collaboration with the Centre for Women’s Economic Safety reflects our shared vision of fostering an environment where women can rebuild their lives with dignity, for a future of financial independence. Discover more about Centre for Women’s Economic Safety and the Sydney Money Clinics by visiting their website.

ReLove understands the profound difference between providing shelter and furnishing a home where families can thrive and heal. ReLove’s goal is to help vulnerable women leaving crisis accommodation to establish a long-term home, ensuring that women, especially First Nations, refugees, and new migrants, along with their children, receive the dignified support they deserve.

Our collaboration with ReLove resonates deeply with the Judith Neilson Foundation’s commitment to empower vulnerable women and their families – especially those grappling with homelessness, domestic violence, and the ripple effects of the criminal justice system. Explore the incredible journey of ReLove by visiting their website.

The Social Outfit is an innovative fashion label with a difference, committed to supporting refugee women to kick-start their careers and find their feet in Australia. Through specialised sewing and retail training programs, The Social Outfit helps women develop essential work skills, prepares them for employment, and builds meaningful community connections.

Their ethical and sustainable clothing collections celebrate and showcase the skills, creativity and strengths of refugee and new migrant women across Western Sydney and Sydney’s Inner West. Explore The Social Outfit’s journey and the extraordinary impact they make by visiting their website

Success Works believes a criminal record should never be viewed as an automatic disqualification for employment. Their new Beyond Barriers program is dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable women with criminal records in securing meaningful employment, focusing particularly on those who face long-term unemployment after incarceration.

Beyond Barriers works with single mothers, survivors of violence, and women contending with the stigma of a criminal record. The program offers essential tools and practical support for a new start. For more information about the impactful work of Success Works and the Beyond Barriers program, visit their website.

Anti-Slavery Australia is committed to ending modern slavery Australia, providing survivors with support and access to legal and migration advice. Modern slavery in Australia is a hidden issue, but it’s estimated more than 40,000 people live in modern slavery across the country, affected by human trafficking, slavery or forced marriage. Anti-Slavery Australia also drives systemic reform, helping to shape anti-slavery laws in NSW and across the country.

The Judith Neilson Foundation values our partnership with Anti-Slavery Australia, whose work empowers survivors to build positive futures. Please visit Anti-Slavery Australia’s website to learn more about their important work.

Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group was founded twenty years ago, united by the vision of a compassionate Australia where people seeking refuge and asylum are treated with justice and compassion. Run entirely by volunteers, Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group offers friendship and practical support for refugees and people seeking asylum across Western Sydney.

Their work supports refugees to thrive, not just survive as they develop their own skills, activities and businesses, educate the community about refugee issues, and advocate for just and compassionate policies at all levels of government.

We are proud of our partnership with Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group, and encourage you to learn more about their work by visiting their website. 

Through the creation of beautiful, high-quality food and products, Two Good Co. support, empower and employ women with lived experience of domestic violence and homelessness, hiring the women from the shelters they donate to and empowering them to re-establish their self-belief and independence.

Our partnership with Two Good Co. helps to support women and girls who are experiencing intersecting disadvantage to be safe, thrive and contribute to a just and prosperous society. We invite you to learn more about their incredible work by visiting their website.

Clinton Health Access Initiative in Zimbabwe is making preventative care for cervical cancer more accessible for women, particularly in rural areas. Zimbabwe has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world, a disease which is almost entirely preventable. Women with HIV are five times more likely to develop cervical cancer, and cervical cancer is the leading cause of death for these women in Zimbabwe.

Clinton Health Access Initiative is helping to address the barriers that prevent women from accessing cervical cancer screening and treatment, by reducing the cost and the burden on women travelling distances of up to 50km to reach these services. This includes providing screening test kits which allow for self-collection at the community level, rolling out devices using new technologies that treat pre-cancerous cervical lesions, and developing an inexpensive artificial intelligence-based tool to assist healthcare professionals with screening.

Our partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative will expand affordable access to these vital prevention services and increase the accuracy of testing with the goal of reducing the burden of disease and allowing future generations of women to live free from cervical cancer. If you would like to learn more, please visit their website.