OUR PROGRAMS
WHY WE EXIST
OUR STORY
THE NAME
Nawiri is Swahili for flourish
It comes from Swahili, one of the most widely spoken languages across Sub-Saharan Africa, carrying with it a heritage of community, resilience and collective care.
The choice was deliberate and it was symbolic. It reflects a belief that every person, whatever their background, circumstance, ability or history, deserves the chance to flourish. Not just to survive. To live with dignity, to belong somewhere, to have purpose, and to contribute something back.
In choosing the name, our founders made a commitment: not just to deliver services, but to walk alongside people on the way to a life that genuinely thrives.
HOW IT STARTED
Four patterns we could not stop noticing
Nawiri Foundation was established in Adelaide by community leaders, social care practitioners and advocates who shared a concern: that some of the most vulnerable people around them were falling through the gaps of a fragmented and under-resourced system.
Between them they had worked alongside people with disability, families in crisis, newly arrived migrants and refugees, and people without housing. The same things kept surfacing.
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People unable to reach services because of language
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Families cycling in and out of crisis without adequate support
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People with disability unable to find care that was culturally responsive
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Older people living in deep isolation with nowhere to turn
They came together to build something different: compassionate, person-centred and culturally responsive support, delivered with dignity and rooted in real human connection.
MISSION AND VISION
What we are working toward
Our mission
Nawiri Foundation exists to empower Australia's most vulnerable individuals and families through compassionate, person-centred and culturally responsive support, enabling every person we serve to live with dignity, hope and purpose.
Our Vision
To create a nurturing and inclusive environment that fosters growth, dignity and self-identity for everyone we serve. Through a commitment to excellence, collaboration and innovation, we aim to make a positive impact on the lives of people with disability and contribute to the betterment of communities in South Australia and beyond.
OUR VALUES
Seven things we hold ourselves to
Empowerment
We build skills and capability so people participate fully in their communities, and take charge of their own strengths.
Accountability
Honesty and transparency in our practices and systems. We take responsibility for what we do and how we do it.
Empathy
We listen deeply and seek to understand each person's experience, so people and their families feel heard and valued.
Respect and dignity
We value what every individual contributes and are committed to upholding human dignity without exception.
Quality and safety
High-quality, person-centred services, with safety and wellbeing embedded in our policies rather than bolted on.
Innovation
We adapt to changing needs creatively, rather than defending a model that has stopped working.
Inclusivity
We celebrate diversity and provide culturally safe services that honour the backgrounds, identities and traditions of everyone we support.
GOVERNANCE
How we are held to account
Nawiri Foundation Ltd is a company limited by guarantee, governed by a volunteer Board of between five and nine Directors. No Director is paid. We issue no shares and distribute no profits. Every surplus goes back into our programs.
The Board is built to a skills matrix covering finance, law, community services, disability, cultural diversity, governance, fundraising, health, technology, advocacy and lived experience of vulnerability. Every Director completes a police check, a Working with Children Check and a conflict of interest declaration before appointment.
Two advisory bodies sit alongside the Board. A Cultural Advisory Committee of community representatives guides cultural safety and program design. A Lived Experience Advisory Group of people who have been through disability, homelessness, family crisis or migration advises on how our services actually land.