An innovative program combining sport, mentoring and learning is achieving remarkable results in Melbourne's south east. The community-designed initiative is ensuring young African-Australian kids are well-connected and better engaging with school.
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00:00School's out, but not for these kids.
00:09They're opting to stay late and get some more work done with the help of a group of mentors.
00:14The mentors are really good.
00:15Since they started this program, I've been understanding the work more and getting better
00:20grades.
00:21I know it's something that I would have wanted when I was in school, and so it's really cool
00:25to be able to impact their lives in that way.
00:32This is one part of a program run for and by members of Melbourne's African-Australian
00:37community.
00:38It combines mentors, lessons, family and basketball.
00:46On Sundays, some of the students shoot hoops.
00:50I have lots of cousins, friends here, and siblings.
00:56What's been your favourite part?
00:57Probably, um, I like math now.
00:58I used to really hate math in school, but coming here I've learned way more and I now
01:09like math way better.
01:16The kids and many of their mothers gather at Afrioscare, the NGO behind the program,
01:22where it's back to the books.
01:24We're creating a community, a place for young people from African backgrounds to feel connected,
01:31but to be supported.
01:32What's seven times seven?
01:3449.
01:35Connection is key because the cohort that we work with are African refugees and they
01:40tend to be isolated.
01:41Just to come here and learn, like if you're struggling with homework, you can get help
01:47and support from people that are here.
01:51The program was co-designed with RMIT University.
01:55The researchers there also ran an evaluation that found young people were better engaging
02:00with school and the community.
02:03It's simply been outstanding, some of the findings, and having worked with sport-based
02:06youth development programs previously, usually it takes quite a lot longer to see the same
02:11results.
02:12I'm a single mum, I don't have the time, I don't have the educational background to be
02:17able to help.
02:18They're looking to secure funding for a broader longitudinal study, but say the program should
02:23be expanded.
02:24We feel those same outcomes could be really beneficial to other communities as well.
02:32While the children finish off their homework, the mothers are preparing a meal.
02:36It is very important to involve the mothers or the grandmothers in the tutoring for the
02:43young people.
02:44By doing that, you increase a sense of belonging within the family, instead of what has been
02:52happening is intergenerational conflict, intergenerational trauma.
02:56Do you want a salad?
03:00Afrioz Care also helps women gain employment and improve their English skills, runs sports
03:05teams and works with young people in prison.
03:09With what we see in the media, there's a lot of focus and attention on African young people
03:13and how badly they're doing.
03:15It's actually the opposite.
03:16There are a lot of African young people doing really well.
03:18There's a small percentage of young African people committing offences.
03:21We still need to support them, but we do need more early intervention programs to ensure
03:25that we can provide better support to young people, so they can have better life outcomes
03:29in the future.
03:31This program will keep running for at least another three years, thanks to funding from
03:35the Education Department and a charity called Brian M. Davis.
03:40Getting the money to keep it going was a huge relief for everyone involved, given the success
03:44they've seen over the last 18 months.
03:47It's young people.
03:48You can't just say that, well, funding has ceased, this is the end of the program.
03:53It is very difficult to put the program together, and when the program is up and running, if
03:59you tell the community or the parents and the young people that we are stopping here,
04:06it always brings a lot of anxiety.
04:09I'm looking forward to seeing the outcomes as they continue to grow, so the data now
04:14is good, but in five, six years' time, that will have great carriage for us.
04:22The school says the mentors are having a big impact on the students and their teachers.
04:27There are opportunities for the young people to have access to the mentors in different
04:31mediums, so having those frequent and diverse touch points is a really good opportunity
04:39for what I guess the mentors are imparting on the young people to stick.
04:43You know what they say, hard work beats talent.
04:47There doesn't seem to be a shortage of either.
04:49All they need is an opportunity to be supported, for someone to give them a helping hand, and
04:54that's what we try to do.