Afri-Connect LDAT supports African Australian young people in Dandenong

The LDAT aims to prevent alcohol and other drug (AOD) related harm through culturally safe, community-led initiatives.

It’s run by Afri-Aus Care Inc., an organisation that delivers mentoring and peer support for African Australian youth, holds sports and creative programs as positive alternatives to risky behaviours, and engages parents and Elders through community education.

The Afri-Aus Care UBUNTU Restorative Community Program is the LDAT’s fifth Community Action Plan (CAP).

UBUNTU is a word from the Nguni group of southern Bantu languages, meaning ‘humanity to others’. It reflects a philosophy centred on people’s interdependence, acknowledging our interconnectedness and each person’s responsibility to others and the world around them.

The LDAT’s partners include the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Victoria Police and RMIT University.

While Greater Dandenong’s overall alcohol harm risk is relatively low compared with some neighbouring council areas, there are pockets of risky drinking and higher-than-average impacts.

According to the City of Greater Dandenong, alcohol intoxication ambulance attendances in the area were 13% higher than the metropolitan average in 2022–23, family violence incidents where alcohol was present were 23% higher in 2021–22, and alcohol-associated deaths were 12% higher in 2021.

The area also has a large migrant population, including families from many African countries.

Selba-Gondoza Luka OAM, CEO and founder of Afri-Aus Care Inc., explains that many of these families have experienced being unheard or overlooked in mainstream systems.

“The African Australian community in Melbourne’s southeast, which predominantly come from refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds, face a lot of challenges with AOD use brought on by acculturation stress, navigating systems and intergenerational trauma,” she said.

“From an Afri-Connect lens, our LDAT is also responding to common barriers that can increase harm in multicultural communities. Stigma, language barriers and limited culturally safe entry points can mean people delay seeking help until harms escalate.”

Selba-Gondoza emphasises that prevention is critical. Linking families and young people with support has a protective effect, helping to stop AOD issues before they develop. Community-led prevention and referrals can reduce the barriers to getting support.

For Selba-Gondoza, prevention also means addressing root causes like isolation, broken families, unemployment, racism, undiagnosed and untreated mental illness, and intergenerational trauma.

“It’s not just about slogans, it’s about creating pathways for belonging, purpose and opportunity.

“Grassroots leadership, when supported, can drive systemic change,” she said.

Afri-Connect LDAT has worked in the local area since 2019. Insights from its earlier CAPs have shaped its more recent activities.

Previous projects used the Knowledge Team model, where young African Australians ran peer-based consultations.

“The biggest highlight is seeing prevention work truly led by the community, for the community. Being part of the LDAT program has given us the opportunity to co-design with young people, parents and Elders, making sure the strategies are culturally relevant and sustainable,” said Selba-Gondoza.

“It’s inspiring to see young people stepping into leadership roles and to know that our work is part of a national movement tackling alcohol and other drug harms before they take root.”

In CAP 4, the Peer-to-Peer Restorative Family Group gained knowledge and experience in delivering workshops. This laid the foundation for CAP 5: a series of ten workshops for African Australian young people aged 18–30.

What the workshops achieved

The workshops ran over eight months in 2024 and 2025, and reached 87 local young people, more than the target of 80.

The groups looked at AOD use within the community, its effects on physical and mental health, lived experience and support services. The workshops also built knowledge and leadership skills among peer leaders, who will now lead a taskforce for the LDAT’s next CAP.

After the workshops:

• 94% of young people said they know more about the harms and impact of AOD
• 87% felt equipped to seek help
• 80% felt more connected to their community.

“The impact has been significant. Young people who were previously disengaged are now participating in education, training and sports,” said Selba-Gondoza.

Families have reported stronger connections and better communication, and the LDAT is seeing less stigma around talking about alcohol and drug harm.

“By embedding cultural and lived experience mentors into our programs, we’ve been able to build trust quickly and open pathways to healthier choices.

“The ripple effect is that schools, community services and families now see Afri-Aus Care as a safe bridge to services that were previously underused.”

Advice for other LDATs

Selba-Gondoza’s advice to other LDATs planning a CAP for young people is to co-design from the start. Involve young people, parents, Elders and lived-experience leaders in planning, not just consultation.

“We got the most out of the LDAT by doing the practical things well: co-designing with community, delivering activities in trusted spaces that community members are familiar with, having facilitators the community recognises, and setting up referral pathways, roles and follow-up after each event,” she said.

She also recommends removing barriers to taking part. Organise food, help with transport, flexible times, and follow-up between sessions.

When it comes to evaluation, she says to “measure what matters”. Look at attendance, shifts in knowledge and confidence to seek help, and stories of change. Then feed the results back to the community.

Last reviewed: 31 October 2026