The Uniting Church in South Australia has a fund to assist refugees wishing to relocate to Australia.

The Refugee Support Fund will provide financial assistance, initially primarily to African refugees, wishing to re-establish their lives in South Australia.

The fund aims to help those who have been granted refugee status and entry permits to Australia, but have no financial means of getting here.

The fund will cover airfares and associated travel expenses. On average it costs about $1,600 to bring an adult refugee to Australia.  It costs about $1,200 for a child.

The International Organisation for Migration will provide interest free loans for part of the ticket price, depending on circumstances.  Our fund will provide up to another 40 percent.

The more we raise - the more families we can help. 

So far more than $50,000 has been donated to the Refugee Support Fund.  Our church's investment arm, UC Invest has promised to match these donations, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000.

We are currently working in partnership with the local Sudanese community to establish a fair application process.  All applications are first made through a local congregation and then to an advisory group which includes members of the Sudanese community and the Uniting Church.

For further information about the Refugee Support Fund or how you can make a donation to the fund, contact Andrew Clarke in the Uniting Church SA's Mission Resourcing Network, on 0429 190 007.