Category: Uncategorized

‘The poor need help today, not next week.’
– Catherine McAuley. These words have been the guiding mantra for all who have contributed to Mercy Works since its inception. In 2025, we celebrate 25 years of Mercy in action and reflect on a legacy of service, innovation and dedication.

Since arriving in Australia in 1846, the Sisters of Mercy, alongside others inspired by Catherine McAuley’s vision, have committed themselves to walking with the most marginalised and vulnerable in society. In 1993, a desire to formalise this commitment led to the establishment of Mercy Overseas Aid. Recognising the need for clear principles to guide both national and international ministries, the organisation as we know it today, was renamed Mercy Works Inc. in April 2000.

Ailsa Mackinnon rsm, former Executive Director of Mercy Works recalls ‘In the beginning it was extremely difficult because we were so vulnerable financially but the work being done was magnificent. No government funding meant fundraising needed to have a solid commitment from foundations, private donors and importantly our Mercy schools, to ensure the mission was sustainable.’

By 2003, a Board of Directors was formed, and in 2004, Mercy Refugee Services was fully integrated into Mercy Works. As the number of programs with tax-deductible funding continued to grow, Mercy Works applied for Public Benevolent Institution status, transitioning to a Company Limited by Guarantee in July 2010.

‘We knew that we were making a difference. It was tangible. You could see it in people’s lives.’
– Ailsa Mackinnon

From the onset Mercy Works aimed to evolve earlier works designed to improve social justice and selfreliance through education, health care and welfare programs. These grew to encompass 11 countries from Australia to Kenya, from Pakistan to Papua New Guinea (PNG) and from Peru to Timor-Leste. For Ailsa, ‘Mercy is a verb. It is action.

It is how you put your faith life into action.’ Projects included the installation of water systems in remote villages of Timor-Leste and PNG. Groups were formed to support and empower women, and advance maternal health outcomes, in Pakistan, Kenya and Peru. In Timor-Leste and PNG courses were offered to give women and men the skills required to find work to sustain themselves.

Keen effort was afforded to programs that focussed on elevating educational outcomes for people from a refugee or asylum seeker background in Australia, through the creation of Classroom Connect in 2008 (now called Mercy Works Connect). The mission to create educational opportunities extended to Pakistan with assistance to two schools, and Sudan where in partnership with other NGOs, Mercy Works built a hostel to house young female students attending secondary school. In PNG, hundreds of students benefitted from the Access to Tertiary Education Scholarship program.

Ailsa believes ‘The turning point for Mercy Works was our partnership with local communities. That grassroots approach allowed us to design programs that truly met the needs of the people we served.

Former Board Chair, Kathleen Donnellon adds ‘For me it was that sense of bringing it back very firmly to mission all the time, making sure that the things that we were funding were in collaboration with the people that we were working with, whoever they might be, that it was really mission based in the sense that it was working towards sustainability for that community or that organisation.’

This is evident in the current work across Australia, PNG, Timor Leste, and the Philippines.

In Australia, Mercy Works partners with organisations like Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation to provide weekly gatherings for Indigenous mothers and children, Jtunga Wattyjara ‘Family Together’ is dedicated to advancing better outcomes for Indigenous women and families, and the Nallei Jerring Youth Leadership Program fosters leadership and self-identity among Aboriginal youth.

Mercy Works Connect supports child and adult students from a refugee or asylum seeker background with mentoring and academic assistance. Mercy Works also supports asylum seekers in Brisbane finding employment through the Romero Centre.

In partnership with the Diocese of Daru-Kiunga in PNG, Mercy Works supports West Papuan refugees and enhances living standards in Simbu Province through financial services, skills training, and crop production.

Mercy Works collaborates with the Hospitaller Sisters of Mercy in Timor Leste, to combat malnutrition in Maucatar, with a focus on pregnant women and children.

The Teresa Orsini Maternity Clinic plays a key role in improving health outcomes in this underserved region.

Alongside the Good Shepherd Home in The Philippines, Mercy Works supports survivors of gender-based violence, offering refugee, rehabilitation, and livelihood opportunities.

As we look to the future, we remain committed to further empowering these communities and building on the sustainable progress that has been made. Mercy Works Board Chair Joe Zabar’s aspiration is ‘I’m hoping that we have tilled the soil well enough so that the next generation coming through will be able to harness some of the gains that we’ve achieved and then springboard Mercy Works to even greater things in the next 25 years.’

Mercy Works began with a vision for a better world, and 25 years later, that vision is stronger than ever. From humble beginnings, the organisation continues to be a force for change. Joe concludes ‘We may have grown but we’re still a small organisation, and nimble, and I don’t think we’ll ever change that because it’s grassroots and it’s sustainable, in the sense that individuals can take control over their own lives. That’s our niche. We might be too small to change the world, but we can change the world for those we support.’

Mercy Works Leaders

Executive Officers
Helen Nolen rsm 2000 – 2003
Maryanne Loughry rsm 2004 – 2005
Rosemary Carroll rsm 2006 – 2011

Executive Directors
Ailsa Mackinnon rsm 2012 – 2018
Sally Bradley rsm 2019 – present

Board Chairs
Patricia Pak Poy rsm 2000 – 2002
Mary Densley rsm 2003 – 2007
Mary Duffy rsm, RIP 2008 – 2011
Berice Livermore rsm 2012 – 2017
Kathleen Donnellon 2018 – 2021
Joe Zabar 2022 – present

Are you new to Australia and want to better understand your rights and opportunities within the Australian legal system?

Mercy Works, DLA Piper and the Afghan Women Support Association are hosting a FREE 4-week course designed to help refugees and people seeking asylum gain the knowledge and confidence to thrive in their new home.

When: Fridays – 2, 9, 16, and 23 May 2025

Time: 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Cost: Absolutely FREE!

Lunch Provided.

What You Will Learn:

✅ Australia’s Legal and Government System

✅ Starting a Business in Australia

✅ Tenancy Rights – Know Your Housing Rights

✅ Human Rights in Australia

Afghan Women Support Association provides information, referral, and practical support to migrants and refugees from Afghanistan and other countries.

DLA Piper is a global law firm with offices in over 40 countries, advising businesses on a wide range of legal matters. DLA Piper’s pro bono mission is to pursue justice in our communities and around the world by advancing gender and racial equality, advocating for children, and combating hunger.

Mercy Works is the development arm of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia and Papua New Guinea. We partner with local communities and organisations in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Timor-Leste to build capacity, dignity and self-reliance.

This April, as we celebrate 25 years of Mercy Works, I am grateful to share this journey, and my Easter reflections of hope, with you.

I draw inspiration from a recent visit to our project in the remote mountainous area of Maucatar in Timor-Leste. Almost half the population of Maucatar live on less than US$2.15 per day. Life is challenging and malnutrition is prevalent. Yet the Timorese people I met, express great joy, resilience and gratitude.

Thanks to kind supporters, people like you, Mercy Works* launched a small but impactful initiative ‘the chicken and egg project’ six years ago. We provide families with nutrition through sustainable poultry farming. Today, it has expanded, reaching even more villages.

I met with Village Health Volunteers dedicated to improving basic health care. There is still an urgent need for clean water and sanitation – basic human rights. Mercy Works has installed a water tank in one school, and with your generosity, we hope to bring water and sanitation to more communities.

Income-generation projects are thriving – especially among women – raising chickens, farming fish, growing vegetables, and weaving. These endeavours provide dignity, self-sufficiency, and the means to support their families.

I hope you too are inspired by the people of Timor-Leste. If you would like to help vulnerable communities such as those living in Maucatar, please give now.

May Easter blessings of hope be with you and your family, and may God’s grace surround and uplift you.

With thanks,

Sally Bradley rsm
Executive Director

Dear Prime Minister Albanese, Mr Dutton, Mr Littleproud and Mr Bandt,

Ahead of the coming federal election we are writing to you as organisations that support refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia.

As campaigning gets underway, we urge you to approach issues around people who have fled conflict and persecution with dignity and respect, protecting Australia’s proud multicultural society.

As the leaders of Australia’s major political parties, you hold immense power and influence insetting the political agenda and the topics and tone of the national conversation. Your choices have a real and significant impact on the people we support.

We acknowledge that immigration is an important and high profile subject that will be much discussed during the course of a federal election campaign.

Ensuring that this debate remains facts-based, compassionate, and informed by lived experience is vital to the wellbeing of refugees and people seeking asylum, many of whom continue to process the trauma that comes with fleeing conflict and persecution as they seek to rebuild their lives in Australia.

This begins with the fundamental truth that everyone has the right to seek asylum, regardless of how they arrive in Australia. Seeking asylum is a human right according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights1 and the 1951 Refugee Convention. Australia is not only a signatory to both agreements but also helped to draft the Refugee Convention and played a significant role in bringing it into force.

At a time when trust in politicians, the media, and other institutions is waning, it is clearer than ever that the public value accuracy and truth. It is crucial that our politicians strive to maintain high standards and correct the record when they have shared incorrect information, whether intentionally or by mistake. To quote one person seeking asylum who has been supported by one of our organisations, “The media can cause confusion and unconscious bias among the audience. They should teach their audience that refugees are people who are also able to contribute massively”. It is also useful to note that bodies such as the Australian Press Council have previously stated that terms such as “illegal immigrants” or “illegals” may constitute a breach of their Standards of Practice.

Political debate – both during and outside election campaigns – has often seen people seeking asylum become the target of unacceptable rhetoric, often describing refugees and people seeking asylum in a degrading and hostile manner.

This is a poor reflection on how Australia is perceived internationally and undermines our proud record as a truly multicultural nation and as a leader in refugee resettlement and protection principles.

In a changing Australia, messages that demonise refugees and people seeking asylum will no longer wash. Recent polling by Redbridge found that a majority of Australians expect the federal government to take a fair and humane approach to refugees and people seeking asylum.

Refugees and people seeking asylum are human beings. They are people who often have been made vulnerable, having experienced immense trauma, but are also resilient and make important contributions to Australia as members of our communities, from workforce participation to volunteering and civic engagement.

As the federal election campaign gets underway, we call on you to show the moral leadership required to lead the country, in doing so treating refugees and people seeking asylum with compassion, dignity, and respect.

Yours sincerely,

Frances Rush OAM – CEO, Asylum Seekers Centre

Paul Power – CEO, Refugee Council of Australia

Alopi Latukefu – Director, Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education

Dr Angela Argent – CEO, St Francis Social Services

Mayor Cr Jim Memeti – Chair, Mayoral and Councillor Taskforce Supporting People Seeking Asylum

Karen Dare – CEO, Community Queensland

Josephine Rechichi – Acting Country Director, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia

Dr Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes – Director, Centre for Human Rights Education

Gai Walker – Managing Director, SCALES Community Legal Centre

Suha Ali – Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees

Zaki Haidari – Strategic Campaigner for Refugee Rights, Amnesty International Australia

Dr Caroline Fleay – CEO, Social Change Institute

Aleem Ali – CEO, Welcoming Australia

Ian Rintoul – Coordinator, Refugee Action Coalition Sydney

Sr. Sally Bradley RSM – Executive Director, Mercy Works

Alison Battisson – Director Principal, Human Rights for All

Fr. Petr Smith – Promoter of Peace and Justice, Justice and Peace Office of the Sydney Archdiocese

Dr Julie Macken – Catholics for Refugees

Brigid Arthur AO – Coordinator, Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project

Dr David Glanz – Refugee Action Collective Victoria

Emeritus Professor John Minns – Convenor, Refugee Action Campaign, Canberra

The Rev’d. Dr. D. Paul Dalzell – President, Rural Australians for Refugees

Geraldine Moore – President, Bayside Refugee Advocacy and Support Association

Elizabeth Stone – General Secretary, National Council of Churches in Australia

Kathie Herbert – Chairperson, Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group

Shabnam Safar – Chair, National Refugee-led Advisory and Advocacy Group

Violet Roumeliotis – CEO, Settlement Services International (SSI)

Marilyn Leeks – President, Northern Rivers for Refugees

Janet Joss and Dr Margaret Browne – Co-chairs, Grandmothers for Refugees

Dulce Munoz – National Convener, Mums4Refugees

Toby oConnor – CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society

Moira Boyle – Volunteer Co-ordinator, Dignity Project

Marie Hapke – Convenor, Refugee Advocacy Network

Joy Connor and Lisa Wriley – Co-Leaders of the Wellspring Community of AustraliaJamila Padhee – National Coordinator, FASSTT (Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma)

Christine Castley – CEO, Multicultural Australia

Mirsia Bunjaku, CEO, Australian Migrant Resource Centre (AMRC)

Recently, Farid Ghalib, Mercy Work’s Refugee Projects Senior Coordinator visited the Romero Centre in Brisbane. Mercy Works partners with the Romero Center to run the Gateways to Employment program, which has made a significant impact over the past year—helping 62 new people (47 women and 15 men) to secure employment and achieve financial independence.

At Mercy Works, we firmly believe that meaningful partnerships are key to creating lasting change. Our collaboration with the Romero Centre has allowed us to extend our reach and provide essential support to people seeking asylum as they navigate their new lives in Australia.

Key Outcomes of the Program:

✅ Increased confidence and skills—Empowering individuals, especially women, to actively participate in social and community life.

✅ Sustainable employment pathways—Providing long-term, meaningful job opportunities.

✅ Support for Bilingual Tutors—Enhancing their skills and workforce experience in Australia.

✅ Empowerment & self-efficacy—Fostering independence, resilience, and determination.

✅ Financial independence—Helping individuals secure stable employment and become self-sufficient.

✅ Improved communication skills—Facilitating integration and adaptability.

This work is more than just employment—it’s about dignity, opportunity, and inclusion. We are deeply inspired by the resilience of the individuals we support.

Memeyok village and program staff in front of a newly installed water tank funded by Mercy Works donors.

As earlier reported by Mercy Works in mid-2024, three months of continuous rainfall in Papua New Guinea’s remote Western Province caused severe flooding and damage. Communities that Mercy Works is currently partnering with on the Kiunga Livelihoods project, were severely affected. The floods isolated and displaced villages, washed out roads and destroyed food sources such as vegetable gardens. In response, Mercy Works and kind supporters provided emergency famine relief.

The rollout of the Kiunga Livelihoods Project was delayed by two months due to the flooding. Prior to the floods, the project was already facing challenges related to the remoteness of the villages, e.g. communication difficulties between visits and the impact of the heavy rains on travel. The flooding further disrupted efforts to bring the project back on schedule, especially in relation to the installation of critical water tanks in local villages.

Despite these difficulties, two water tanks were successfully transported via the swollen river and are now in place, though they still require minor parts and plumbing work to become operational. The installation of two additional tanks has been delayed by heavy rainfall and vehicle breakdowns, but the project team is working closely with a local parish priest and using a tractor to complete this task.

Water levels remain high, which has stalled other key activities such as the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) initiative. However, efforts to resolve these issues, including the recruitment of a trainer, are underway. In the meantime, the focus on livelihoods continues with the distribution of banana seeds to border villages, ensuring some progress despite the adverse conditions. Completion of the first water tanks remains the immediate priority.

Women from Memeyok Village joyously carry their new water tank from the Fly River into their village for installation.

Related Stories:

Famine Relief In West Papua New Guinea. July 2024.

From all of us at Mercy Works, we wish you a very happy 2025! Thank you for all your support and encouragement.

We look forward to reconnecting in 2025!

Our office will reopen on Monday 6 January, 2025.

Read now.

If you would like a printed copy mailed to you, please email danielle.hayes@mercyworks.org.au