South Sudanese youth are being invited to ‘just drop in’ to a new safe space offering help with school and life.
The JDI (Just Drop In) Youth Centre at Casey City Church will provide African-Australian youth with a welcoming, supervised and culturally friendly space to pop in and get help with homework, career advice and mentoring on life skills.
JDI will also provide a space for young people to express themselves through their hobbies including cultural dance, a sample of which attendees enjoyed at the JDI launch on Saturday 17 April.
It was officially opened by Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards and La Trobe MP and Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Jason Wood.
JDI is spearheaded by the South Sudanese-Australian Academic Society (SSAS), funded by the Federal government and supported by Casey City Church. It’s a joint project of Hope Australia Soccer Academy (HASA) and SSAS.
Larry Sebastian, chairman of HASA and Senior Pastor of Casey City Church, said it made sense for the two organisations to join forces.
“There was a lot of synergy between what both our organisations wanted to do, such as setting up the homework club, so it made total sense for us to work together,” he said.
“HASA’s funding is from a federal government grant and together with Casey City Church, we are pleased this partnership will benefit many South Sudanese families in our community.”
The centre was inspired by the experiences of South Sudanese youth who arrived in Australia in the mid-2000s.
At the time, there were some youth centres in Box Hill where these young people would go after school to hang out under the supervision of volunteers, playing games, snacking, using computers or chatting with friends.
Afterwards, they would return home with no issues.
“The problem begins when young people have nothing to do, when young people need help but cannot find the help and when young people hang out in the wrong places,” said Andrew Gai, co-founder and president of the South Sudanese-Australian Academic Society Inc.
“The pandemic was a huge setback for many children and young people from families where parents don’t speak or write English very well.
“For these students to catch up, it requires a strong partnership between schools, families and programs like the JDI.
He encouraged local schools to refer JDI to any students who may benefit from the support offered at the centre.
“JDI will also support parents by running workshops aimed at giving parents tips on how they can support their children’s learning at home,” he added.
With the launch over, Mr Gai said, it’s now time for the real work to begin.
JDI is looking for community support and volunteer tutors in maths and English, as well as anyone who is able to mentor a young person around life skills and career pathways.
Financial donations to stock the centre with essential resources are also welcomed.
To find out how you can help, email ssasnov14@gmail.com
The centre is open at Casey City Church, Wednesday, 4pm – 6pm and Saturday 10am – 12pm.
