MEET the NEW MEMBER

Ahmad Mokachar and Rana Kabbout, Muslim Care, talk about their plans for the organisation’s future.

As Churches Housing’s latest member, Muslim Care is clear about its direction.

Established in 2012, the aim for Muslim Care is to plant seeds through enhancing, assisting and developing community services. Chairman Ahmad Mokachar said: ‘We aspire to assist the composition of the wider Muslim community within our multicultural diverse society.’

Rana Kabbout, coordinator, adds that Muslim Care began with a day centre and home care assistance and transport. It has now expanded to aged care, youth care, family support, education, disability and housing.

Disabled seniors need urgent help

Both Ahmad and Rana are particularly concerned for the urgent housing needs of disabled seniors and are looking for funding. Ahmad says: ‘Our plan is to begin in a small way – for example, one or two units in a 10- to 12-unit block. We are working to demonstrate the urgent need for this.’

Rana explains that ‘we hope to do this through having preliminary meetings in which we build relationships and discuss policies. From there, we can work on designs that meet people’s needs and will pass Council regulations. We want to work together with Councils on these projects.’

Muslim Care plans, first, to gain experience and begin by managing other people’s properties – whether they are individual homes, units or blocks of units. Or, assume the management of existing NRAS (National Rental Affordability Scheme) properties.

Second, Ahmad and Rana plan to work with developers to build affordable housing

Third, they will build networks and partner with housing providers.

Muslim Care plans to use Chintaro social housing software for managers of tenancies, properties, finances, IT and for reporting requirements because it is tailor-made for social housing providers. Many Churches Housing members use it and it complies with national standards of reporting.

Education established

Over the past decade, says Ahmad, Muslim Care saw the need to establish educational institutes to help with settlement and demand for extended services – which led to developing Al Zahra Mosque, and Al Zahra College.

‘Muslim Care has since effectively secured services for senior citizens, people with a disability, family, the wider community, youth and housing,’ he says.

Rana says that, as an approved residential care provider, the organisation currently runs a program through the Commonwealth Home support program(CHSP) for the frail and aged via social support services.

The organisation also provides home care services such as personal or domestic care in the person’s home.

The organisation was approved as a housing provider in December 2017 and has obtained approval to provide services through the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) promoting inclusion and various services to individuals under 65 with a disability to enhance their well-being and independence.