African community unites to thrive with pride

The Illawarra's fastest growing migrant community is preparing for a landmark event next month with the formal creation of the Illawarra African Community Association (IACA).

Over many decades, dozens of other migrant and refugee groups in the Illawarra have formed their own clubs and associations, including the Italian, Vietnamese, Spanish and Filipino communities.

With African communities in the Illawarra growing 4-6 per cent annually – meaning the population will double in the next 15 years – creating a combined African community group seemed a logical and positive thing to do.

Interim IACA president Dr Robert Ogie told The Illawarra Flame there were several hundred families with African heritage in the region, but to date there had been no unified body to bring them together to provide advocacy and support.

"There is a lot of social disadvantage in our community; for example, in housing, trying to get approvals to rent or buy," Robert said. "We want to help people to navigate the right path, and people need to be directed in the right way."

Contributing to the community

IACA's mission is "to celebrate African culture and empower African families in the Illawarra to thrive with dignity, inclusion and cultural pride – across generations."

Robert said around 20 African countries were represented in the Illawarra, including Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone. "We are trying to avoid simply becoming a collection of countries. We want to work collaboratively; we don't want to be divisive. It's possible we will have members from two countries that went to war back home, but here we want everyone to work together.

"As Africans living together in the Illawarra, we want to be seen as contributing productively to the wider community."

Robert's migration story is similar to so many others. Originally from Nigeria, he and his wife, Queen, wanted to find the best place to raise their family.

"I wanted to study in an English-speaking country, and we were thinking of safety and being able to raise our kids with confidence," he said, mentioning that Australia's "very strict gun laws" was a big factor. Arriving in the Illawarra in 2014, Robert studied for his PhD at the University of Wollongong.

They see Australia as their home, and the next step was to become Australian citizens. Robert has watched others follow his family's journey, and he wanted to do something to help those facing serious disadvantage, be it in language, employment, housing, child care or aged care.

"A lot of people here are refugees. We hope the IACA will provide an opportunity to offer support and take away dependency on social welfare. We want to give back to the Illawarra and Australia."

Youth program a priority

Robert said among the highest priorities for the fledgling organisation was a program for "at-risk youth to give them good guidance".

"They have lots of energy and we want to direct them in the right way; avoiding violence," he said. 

Robert said that to date, one of the most successful ways of engaging with Illawarra's African youth was regular football (soccer) "kick-arounds". 

"We quickly realised that our young people tend to open up and speak with us while playing football," Robert said.

"It's been a great way to bring people together, sharing their stories and experiences, dealing with issues, feeling a sense of connection and experiencing joy."

Providing support for the youngest and oldest former African community members is another priority for IACA.

"Childcare is a big challenge. Most Africans living here are young people with young families," Robert said. 

Looking to the future, an aged care program, providing residential and non-residential care services and respite care, will become a higher priority as the region's African community ages.

MCCI support

The Multicultural Communities Council of the Illawarra (MCCI) has been credited with playing a key role in the establishment of IACA.

"Our region has welcomed migrants and former refugees from the African continent for decades, and a new unified association to help foster connections, community support, systemic advocacy, and celebration of language and culture is really wonderful," said MCCI CEO Chris Lacey.

"As the region's newest multicultural association, IACA has joined with more than 65 local diaspora groups who are part of the MCCI family as members and we look forward to working together with them.

"With more than 50 nations in Africa, it will be no small task for the group to bring the many diverse African communities and cultures together under one local community umbrella organisation. However, the new management committee's strong commitment to inclusion and respect for everyone in the region with connections to Africa stands them in very good stead for the future.”