Who We Are
Who We Are
Our Story
We started Mät because we’ve lived the challenges we see young people in our community facing every day. Our founders spent their early years in refugee camps in Kenya before migrating to Australia through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Resettlement Program.
These experiences are at the heart of Mät. They’ve shaped the way we lead and why we serve – because we know, firsthand, what it feels like to carry trauma and isolation, and we believe every young person deserves the chance to feel supported, safe, and seen.
We’re working to build a community where our young people feel safe, connected, and empowered to thrive. We want every young person to have the support, opportunities, and cultural pride they need to shape their own future with confidence.
We’re not just addressing problems in the moment- we’re creating pathways for long-term wellbeing, leadership, and belonging. By combining lived experience with culturally responsive, trauma-informed support, we aim to break cycles of isolation and help the next generation see what’s possible.
We envision a future where our people have the support they need to thrive, free from discrimination and systemic barriers.
Cultural Foundations 🌱
The word “Mät” comes from the Nilotic languages spoken by South Sudanese communities, including Dinka, Nuer, and other ethnic groups native to the Nile Valley. Mät carries deep cultural meaning. As a noun, it refers to a gathering place – a space where people come together to share, learn, and support one another. As a verb, it means “to bring together” or “to unite” – reflecting the essence of our mission: to build connection, strength, and collective purpose within our community.
Our Vision
- A generation of South Sudanese young people who are proud of their culture, confident in their identity, and empowered to thrive through meaningful participation in all areas of life.
Our Purpose
To provide short and long-term assistance to vulnerable youth, families, and single-parent households.
How?
Honouring the significance of youth, families, community leaders, and cultures.
Embracing the leadership vision of our communities and supporting the direction they choose to pursue.
Our Values
- Community: we value the strength of connections between families, kinship and others who are part of our journey.
- Respect: for ourselves, others, and all cultures and peoples.
- Advocacy: we actively support and champion youth rights, needs, and interests to ensure their voices and those of their families are heard.
- Opportunity: we facilitate environments of equity, growth and development for our youth to reach their full potential.
- Self-determination and agency: we value people's right to make their own choices and shape their own lives.
- Inclusive and collective leadership: collaboration and shared responsibility in decision-making processes.
- Human rights: accountability, transparency, and the active promotion of conditions that foster equality, social justice, and the well-being of our community.
Our Theory of Change
- Input The Mät Approach: A Culturally Grounded Biopsychosocial Model.
- Processes/Activities: Designed, led, delivered and evaluated by South Sudanese community members
- Outputs: Observed changes at the community, systemic and societal level.
- Impact: South Sudanese young people and their families across Victoria enjoy economic, cultural, social and political participation and well-being.
Areas of focus for our vision and strategy
Change at the community level
South Sudanese people access and participate in leading high-quality, integrated, culturally responsive services promoting safety, inclusivity, and well-being.
Systemic Change
A cohesive service delivery and policy framework designed to address the enduring needs of youth, families, and communities while honouring their identity, history, strengths, and aspirations. This system recognises and incorporates the value of South Sudanese knowledge and traditions.
Societal Change
A shift from stereotypical and negative narratives to a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of the South Sudanese communities in Australia.