Our Focus Areas
SUDD Foundation
At the Sudd Foundation, we believe in impactful community development — a mission delivered by the community, for the community. To ensure our efforts yield maximum social impact, we’ve identified three priority focus areas which align with our programs: Youth, Women, and Community.
We understand that there are no short-term solutions to these issues. Comprehensive and strategic program delivery is required to achieve long-term success, with the goal being the full integration and acceptance of the South Sudanese community by the broader population. At the Sudd Foundation, we are not just working towards this goal; we are dedicated to making it a reality.
The Australian South Sudanese population skews younger than other segments of the population. Recognizing this, our youth programs are community-led and provide specialist case management support to the most vulnerable young individuals, while also offering opportunities for growth to others.
Our support extends to at-risk youth intervention to prevent young people from entering the youth justice system. We also provide youth justice referrals, including court accompaniment and post-release services for those who have interacted with the youth justice system.
Many Australian women from South Sudan have faced immense challenges, often migrating, or seeking refuge as the single head of their family. They’ve often experienced significant loss, trauma, and may lack a robust support system — factors that can result in their isolation and disconnection from the community. Furthermore, many of these women also lack formal training, education, practical financial literacy, and support in connecting with community and services.
Our Women’s Connection Program provides a safe space for these South Sudanese Australian women to come together, share their experiences, and learn from each other. This program helps build self-esteem, community connections, and fosters a sense of belonging.
We plan regular gatherings to disseminate education about finances, parenting, wellbeing, and other key topics. These gatherings also serve as a secondary avenue for connecting to other services including English classes, family day care, local community organisations, and navigating mainstream support systems.
Australians from South Sudan often arrive without an understanding of the social fabric of the existing community and lack an established sub-community structure that many European or Asian nationalities possess. Additionally, there are many misunderstandings and misguided perceptions in the Australian community about those with a South Sudanese background.
Our goal is to address and rectify these misconceptions to truly create a united community. We aim to work with mainstream media and seek opportunities for positive strengths-based community exposure to showcase the community and dispel any existing stigma or misconceptions.