Born from community.
Built for community.
An African-led AOD recovery initiative, funded by VACAP and grounded in the Ubuntu philosophy of shared responsibility and collective healing.
Project Sunrise acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands across Victoria on which we work and live. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging — and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. We also celebrate the strength, resilience, and cultural richness of the African Australian communities we serve.
This acknowledgement is offered with genuine respect and a commitment to reconciliation.
Aboriginal Flag
Torres Strait Islander Flag
An AOD initiative
led by our community,
for our community.
Project Sunrise is an Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) initiative funded by the Victorian African Communities Action Plan (VACAP). This project is led by the African Australian Welfare Bureau together with Positive Wellness Recovery Centre (PWRC), Odyssey House Victoria, and Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS).
According to the VACAP Evaluation Report (December 2023), young people from African communities face significant barriers to accessing AOD treatment. Mainstream services fail to meet their complex needs — Project Sunrise was created to bridge this gap.
Our Core Goals
Stronger together.
African Australian
Welfare Bureau
Positive Wellness
Recovery Centre
Odyssey House
Victoria
Youth Support &
Advocacy Service
Why cultural safety
changes everything.
“Young people from migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds are recognised as emerging priority populations for reducing alcohol and other drug-related harms in Australia. Victorians of African heritage experience a number of barriers to service access and AOD treatment.”
— VACAP Evaluation Report, December 2023
At present, mainstream AOD and mental health services fail to adequately meet the complex needs of Victoria's African communities. Project Sunrise addresses this by providing a cultural lens from the African perspective — using strengths-based approaches that empower young people to make positive changes.
“I am because
we are.”
Ubuntu is an African proverb at the heart of how we work. Project Sunrise incorporates this approach — building trust with African communities across Victoria and working holistically to support clients address substance use as a community issue.
We encourage communities to grow together whilst staying connected — because recovery is not an individual journey, but a collective one.
Ready to refer
a young person?
Our team responds within 2 business days. Free and confidential for all young African Australians aged 12–34.