“What they (the public) see on TV is what they think you are”
Young South Sudanese Australian man
In 2019-20, TACSI worked with South Sudanese Australian communities, providers and government to develop and trial ideas to improve mental health.
Using co-design methodologies informed by community development practice, we worked with South Sudanese Australian communities, the state government and health provider cohealth to understand the obstacles and opportunities facing the community, so that solutions to these issues could be designed and tested.
We also worked with and commissioned award winning South Sudanese film director, producer, and writer EzEldin Deng to create a video summary of the project insights.
Importantly, the project governance group had a community majority, as well as government and cohealth participation, a collaboration which ensured the project was in line with community needs while balancing feasibility.
We recruited six South Sudanese Australian co-designers who worked with TACSI social innovators. Co-designers identified and developed solutions with, created culturally safe experiences for and advocated for their community, and continue to share insights from the project.
Read more about our South Sudanese Minds hero initiative here
“I thought I knew everything about my community, but this project changed that”
Flora, a South Sudanese Australian co-designer with TACSI
We co-designed four initiatives
Together, we co-designed four initiatives to improve outcomes that focus on supporting people and building resilience so that when challenges arise they have the support and strengths they need to negotiate their way through.
The four initiatives below have the support of Community members and leaders, and are currently looking for resource partners to fund, start up, trial and deliver them.
This project is now a finalist in the Victorian Premier Design awards.