Selba established Afri-Aus Care Inc (AAC) in 2015, to care for youth at risk and their families who are primarily
of an African background, and especially those who suffer from unresolved trauma or the challenges of adapting
to Australian society, and do not seek help.
Since that time, AAC has grown into an organisation that delivers a range of services to the African community, from core work providing mental health and crime prevention services to young African-Australians, to a range of community and social development programs for young people, their families and the broader African community in South-East Melbourne.
AAC also provides education services to both risk categories in English language education, familiarising clients about accessing mainstream social and health services, study support for secondary and vocational training students and help
with preparing resumes and job applications.
AAC also engages with prisons and their prisoners of an African, background to both support them while serving jail sentence or on remand and to help them re-join society when released. Selba employs the concept of Ubuntu to get the young people to behave well both at home and in the community. This is an African philosophy, loosely translated as “I am because we are”. It generally describes a belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects people. In Africa, it takes a village to raise a child. This model of positive change has made a huge difference with these young people.
Since establishing AAC, Selba has developed a broad range of partnerships and relationships with sectors in
the African community, with mainstream and not-for-profit service organisations and with governments and
elected representatives. She is an Executive Member of the State level Australian African Community Taskforce
and a member of the Victorian Multicultural Commission Regional Advisory Council (SE Melbourne), and with
partnership relationships with many organisations including Victoria police to improve relationships between
law enforcement and the Victorian South Sudanese community. Selba and AfriAus-Care has assisted more than 150
African-Australians with unique complex needs and difficult life circumstances in the Dandenong and Casey
regions.
