What is your initiative?

The refugee mobile clinic initiative aims to empower asylum seekers and refugees to navigate the legal system within the security of their communities. Through a mobile clinic and workshops, the initiative provides: (i) efficient legal support, by handling the initial administrative stages of cases, allowing clinics to focus on complex legal matters; and (ii) collective legal resource sharing, by equipping and empowering community members with knowledge and skills to handle simple cases locally, reducing travel and expenses.

What is your connection to your chosen community?

Born in Johannesburg and having worked with refugee groups through legal clinics and community initiatives, I have gained firsthand insight into the numerous barriers refugees and forcibly displaced people face in accessing rights and vital services. Legal professionals and refugee clients alike have emphasized the need for community-oriented legal and administrative support. Therefore, I am keen to build upon my previous collaborations with community partners and am excited to develop this initiative to better address these unmet needs.

What are you looking forward to this year?

I am eager to gain experience building an initiative from the ground up and working with organizations and communities in Joburg to launch this project, applying my legal knowledge to create a more accessible and human-centred system.