'It takes a village'

The African Village is an innovative model creating spaces and programs for African youth and community members to come together, to work together, and to get support where it’s needed.

With funding from the Queensland Government, the program, which is administered by  Village Support Limited (VSL) under the Queensland African Communities Council (QACC), is doing amazing things, particularly around early intervention with at-risk youth.

Built on the principle that it takes a village to raise a child, the model incorporates the roles of the immediate family, community, society, and services and institutions in contributing to the success of the child.

African youth mentors run programs and activities that are culturally rich, designed to engage young people, and to intervene where problems exist in the home, at school, or with the legal system.

Leader Denis Jato says the program is helping to create a sense of identity and belonging for African youth.

“This African Village model, where we do things more or less the African way, [the young people] realise: ‘There’s more to me than I thought. There’s more in me that I can give out that society needs’,” Denis says.

“We share in the good moments and the bad moments. When something goes right, we all come together to celebrate. When there’s something wrong, we come together to offer a shoulder for one to lean their head on.

“I realise that we are creating a village where they fit in and they realise this is their island.”

Verbal presentation model takes reporting back into the community

As part of the program’s reporting process, the Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism (DWATSIPM) team helped to implement a unique verbal presentation model where community members shared their stories, and provided valuable feedback and recommendations on the initiatives currently in place.

Rather than traditional government reporting models that can be intimidating and alienating for community members, the verbal presentations and meetings have taken place at the community centres located at Moorooka, Geebung, and Redbank Plains, with government representatives hearing from VSL and African community leaders and mentors, in their spaces.

On Friday 27 March 2026, representatives from DWATSIPM’s Multicultural Affairs Queensland team, along with Queensland Department of Education, Queensland Corrective Services and TAFE Queensland attended the third presentation session held as part of this trial, hosted at the Geebung African Village.

VSL mentors and leaders presented data, program progress, and personal reflections from their work with community. The data showed increasing youth engagement with the program, and the stories painted powerful pictures of timely and effective support, which has helped young people successfully navigate difficulties that could have otherwise seen them disengaged with education and community support, and in contact with the legal system.

Particularly moving were the reflections of mentors Winta and Maggy, who spoke of intervening to ensure young students were able to graduate, and of helping students and teachers to reconcile cultural differences.

We also heard first-hand testimonies of high school students, and the impacts that racism and discrimination are having on their emotional and mental wellbeing.

Village creates a community space for ‘collectivist culture’

The VSL program isn’t just for youth. Mentors also shared stories of sewing initiatives for African–Australian women, who are making reusable sanitary products for girls in Africa and English language classes that are helping recent migrants with fluency, boosting their employment prospects in the process.

What is clear from the presentations is the passion and dedication the mentors have for helping their communities, and the enthusiasm that participants have for the program.

These sessions are a powerful reminder of the importance of the village in raising children, and the benefits that community and belonging bring to our lives.

The African Villages model shows that when communities are given a platform to be heard, they can help shape positive programs that are cost effective and can build better futures.