About Dharma Care
Dharma Care is an Australian charity dedicated to creating life-changing opportunities for the destitute and disadvantaged. We support those living in regional areas, giving them access to tools and resources that allow them to pursue their true potential.
We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live a sustainable life filled with purpose, dignity and joy. It’s our mission to facilitate lasting change, creating a ripple effect that benefits future generations.
Mission
Dharma Care provides the funds, services, facilities and safe spaces that offer sustainable solutions to the destitute and disadvantaged. We champion inclusivity, supporting people from all faiths and religions, regardless of ethnicity, gender or age. Both individually and collectively, we are richer in spirit and material benefits when we work together.
We facilitate lasting change to support and empower current and future generations to reach their potential.
We implement programs and projects both locally and overseas that are primarily focused on families.
From homelessness and disaster relief to building safe spaces and essential facilities, we work to deliver support to regional communities. By partnering with tier one organisations, and our caring and compassionate donors, Dharma Care delivers support that makes a real difference to real people in Australia and overseas.
We connect people who care with people in need.
We recognise and support people’s capacity to manage their own lives and to care for those who depend on them. Our focus is on supporting those in need to guide their lives with dignity, and build a brighter future for following generations. We respect life experience and honour self-determination, recognising the joy that is possible when every individual can achieve their full potential.
A ripple effect creating generational change
Dharma Care’s work doesn’t just help a single person right now; it’s a seed that’s planted to benefit the wider community both now and in the future. Sustainable change can’t be achieved by making communities reliant on handouts. Action, collaborative support and initiatives based on achievable goals are needed to make a difference for generations to come. So that’s what we do.
Disadvantages, whether related to wealth, geographical location or opportunity, are typically inherited from the generation before. By empowering individuals to take action towards a better future for themselves today, we create a ripple effect that will improve the lives of future generations.
Our story starts in 1982 with a compassionate nurse Dutch-born nurse and Subud member Munawaroh English was working in Australia in an aged care setting. She was distressed to see the treatment the residents received. Seeing residents housed in impersonal facilities and given lots of medication, Munawaroh knew she needed to make a change. This came in the form of Morningside Care, Munawaroh’s own aged care facility where she provided residents with everything they needed to live a more fulfilling and dignified life.
In 1989, Munawaroh sold Morningside Care and bought 200 acres of rainforest land next to the World Heritage Border Ranges National Park in Cougal, Northern New South Wales. With assistance from volunteers, she built the 100-bed Sine Cera Rainforest Retreat, a sanctuary to support even more people through relaxation, rehabilitation and recuperation.
In 2014, some years after Munawaroh passed away, her vision for Dharma Care was taken over by a team of compassionate and mission-driven professionals. Under the leadership of a new Board and CEO Irwan Freeman Wyllie, the organisation expanded its charitable purposes, with a focus on supporting disadvantaged families in regional communities both in Australia and overseas.
In 2016, Dharma Care expanded its reach through a focus on the needs of regional communities in Australia, and through collaborating with and funding overseas projects. Through its membership of the Susila Dharma International Association (SDIA), Dharma Care has provided assistance to projects in Java, Kalimantan, Congo, Cambodia, and Nepal.
Dharma Care’s focus is on regional communities, both in Australia and overseas.
Despite often being the most in need, those in regional, remote, or rural areas frequently lack support. Major charities often only operate within urban neighbourhoods, and the residents of more isolated communities don’t have the means to create their own support system.
We implement programs and projects both locally and overseas that are primarily focused on families. From homelessness and disaster relief to building safe spaces and essential facilities, we work to deliver support to regional communities.
A dynamic, collaborative response Dharma Care aims to be a constant force for positive change, offering proactive solutions to current and future needs. We identify projects where we can make a real difference. To do this effectively, we collaborate with grassroots organisations who can help us provide the necessary resources and support.
It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a network to deliver sustainable outcomes.
As members of Susila Dharma International Association (SDIA), we’re connected to a global network of charitable organisations in 25 countries. This enables us to take on challenges in other parts of the world, and to change the lives of those who need it most.
Dharma Care is a member of Susila Dharma Australia (SDA) and Susila Dharma International Association (SDIA). This international network gives us tremendous reach and opportunities to support well-credentialled projects around the world.
SDIA is a network of charitable organisations in 25 countries. It has consultative status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the UN’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF). SDIA is ranked 282 among the top 500 NGOs in the world (NGO Advisor, 2019).
More information: susiladharma.org
Dharma Care is an incorporated association registered in New South Wales, Australia (Reg. No. Y09248-15, est. 9 Feb. 1990). ABN: 46 531 585 050.
Dharma Care is a charity (Subtype: Public Benevolent Institution) registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) (Reg. No. cc27907, est. 14 Mar. 1990). It has ATO Deductible Gift Recipient status (DGR900388360 issued 24 Jul 2000) and has Public Fundraising Approval in each Australian State.
Dharma Care has an extensive range of policies. The policies below are some examples. Please contact us if there is a particular policy you would like to see.
Child Protection Policy
Financial Management Policy
Fundraising Policy
Privacy Policy
Work Place Health and Safety Policy
DCI Safeguarding Policy.
