About

About ARESTA

1. Legal Scope of Operations

The Agency for Refugee Education, Skills Training & Advocacy (ARESTA) is a Cape Town based Organization registered as a Non Profit Organization with the NPO Directorate of the Department of Social Development: Registration Number: 013 - 806 NPO. The organisation is also registered with the South African Revenue Services as a Public Benefit Organisation. (PBO: 930023904)

ARESTA works in accordance with the South African Refugee Act 130 of 1998 that sets out South Africa's responsibility towards refugees as well as refugees' rights and obligations.

South Africa is a signatory to:
• the 1951 United Nations Convention , relating to the Status of Refugees
• its 1967 Protocol , which sets out the definition of a refugee and standards for the protection of refugees
• the 1969 OUA Convention governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa

2. Background and Rationale

The Agency for Refugee Education, Skills Training & Advocacy (ARESTA) is a Cape Town based Non-Profit Organization, founded in January 1996 by Father Michael Lapsley, SSM (current Patron) and established as an NPO in September 2001.

ARESTA was established to advocate for and provide psychosocial support to asylum seekers and refugees wishing to integrate successfully within the South African Society.

After a long journey and much hardship, asylum seekers arrive in South Africa in the most destitute and traumatized state, having suffered harm, trauma, loss of family and belongings, mental and emotional injuries, abuse and violation of fundamental rights. They are confused, disoriented, hungry and without shelter.

As many of the asylums seekers and refugees come from non-English speaking countries, English language training is essential for them to be able to communicate and integrate into the South African society.

Business trainings provide refugees with opportunities to become self-reliant, to start small businesses and secure other forms of employment. This results in refugees being less dependant on but rather a contribution to South Africa economy.

ARESTA advocates on behalf of asylums seekers and refugees. It also trains asylums seekers and refugees on their rights and responsibilities in South Africa. This is so that they know and claim their rights when they try to access social services.

ARESTA works in collaboration with South African government and is involved in lobbying, media outreach, and refugee rights awareness, education and advocacy campaign management.

3. Projects Beneficiaries

ARESTA activities are targeted at asylum seekers and refugees living in urban and surrounding areas of the Cape metro region.

South Africa hosts approximately 137,000 asylum seekers and 37,000 recognized refugees. Most of the refugees come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda and Angola. The majority of the asylum-seekers are from Zimbabwe, the DRC, Somalia, Ethiopia and Burundi.(UNHCR Global Appeal 2008 - 2009)

A significant number of asylum-seekers also come from Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and China. A steep increase in the population of concern since 2007 was mainly attributable to Zimbabwean asylum-seekers, a trend that is likely to continue and may even increase in the future.

The asylums seekers and refugees, who benefit from ARESTA’s programmes, are mainly young women and men in their late twenties, who still have the possibility to either undertake studies in different institutions or seek employment to support themselves and their families. ARESTA’s aim is gender parity and equitable beneficiation of the target groups.