The Agency for Refugee Education, Skills Training & Advocacy

ARESTA is a non-profit organization (registration no. 013-806-NPO) founded in 1996 by Father Michael Lapsley, SSM to advocate for and to provide education, skills training and psychological support to newly arrived refugees who leave their homes in order to seek safety in South Africa. After a long journey and much hardship, asylum seekers arrive in South Africa in the most destitute and traumatised state, having suffered harm, loss of family and belongings, mental and emotional injuries, abuse, and violation of fundamental rights. They are confused, disoriented, hungry and without shelter. Although refugees have rights related to their economic activities there are very few facilities or services for addressing the issues of refugee self-reliance, and very often, refugees face discrimination and isolation. They can even be confronted by extreme violence as the 2008 xenophobic attacks have sadly demonstrated. Through ARESTA's holistic approach, the goal is to provide a solution of a kind, which assists refugees and asylum seekers to grapple with economic, social and psychological issues in South Africa. ARESTA's services and activities are the following:

• Career and educational counselling;
• English language training;
• Refugee rights awareness campaigns;
• Vocational and skills development training;
• HIV/AIDS, lifeskills and gender awareness;
• Income generation activities;
• Networking, lobbying and advocacy.

The project needs funding, as the beneficiaries are unable to pay for the training and services received. We welcome your support if you would like to contribute to the work we are doing.