Since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic the work of MWCV has expanded further. During the first lockdown in April 2020 many people from disadvantaged communities including refugees, asylum seekers and international students were left in dire conditions due to sudden unemployment and lack of government assistance. Many desperate families and individuals reached out to MWCV in need of urgent food and aid.

After consultation with board members and the Moreland City Council, MWCV was able to start a Friday food kitchen from the Moreland Town Hall to provide hot halal meals and food packs for people in isolation and those that had lost all sources of income.

Starting with a small team of volunteers MWCV started from cooking 50 meals a week and providing food packs for 50 families, the need quickly grew within a few weeks to providing in excess of 300 meals and 250 food packs every week.

Unfortunately at the end of 2020 the premises had to be vacated and since then the Friday Food Kitchen has moved from one place to another but the needs of the disadvantaged members of the community has only grown.

In light of this the MWCV has decided to build a fully operational commercial size kitchen and distribution room in the land behind its own premises on 220 Moreland Road, Brunswick.

During the 2020/21 financial year, we made over 70,000 to 80,000 meals and provided vulnerable people with 1,440 grocery packs.

The Islamic Girl’s/ Women’s Group (IGWG) was formed to address challenges facing Australian Muslim women and their families.

Role of IGWG

The prevailing negative image of Islamic women in Islam does not reflect the compassion and generosity of many Muslim women, who are presented as being oppressed and ill equipped to integrate into Western society. This perception may be a result of the modest dress code. Prejudices may also be due to lack of knowledge of the Islamic way of life. It is also true that many Muslim women are oppressed and disadvantaged due to lack of education. IGWG has entered into a dialogue with the wider community for the purpose of informing the public of Islam. The group also empowers women to seize the opportunities for personal and professional growth and to benefit from the intellectual freedom that Australian residents are blessed with. IGWG has been and is committed to improving and project a positive images of Islamic women and families and dispel disparaging images of Australian Muslim women and families as non progressive, non educated, non assertive and embracing the ideals of multiculturalism in the context of Australian society - an embodiment of the best of the East and West.

Broad membership base

Most of our members are either migrants or children of migrants and refugees who are confronted with the challenges of reconstituting their identity whilst they make their transition from Muslims in Australia to being Australian Muslims, reconciling the demands of their faith and culture with the expectations of a democratic, secular nation. This group consists of a broad and diverse group of girls and women who represent many diverse cultural groups and Islamic traditions.

IGWG's Achievements

The list below is a summary of activities organised by IGWG. > educational courses for women (Step into Volunteering)
> recruiting young Muslim women into the Victoria Police Force
> started a Muslim kindergarten
> assistance to refuge women
> talks to various church groups, the police force, hospitals, schools, local governments and clubs about Islam since September 11
> presenting a real image of Muslim women in the media IGWG - Strategic Plan - Aug 05 Page 14 of 18
> joined the Royal Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, for which we raise funds by selling middle eastern food outside the hospital on a monthly basis
> organising a multi-faith service after Sep 11
> organising festivals to which non-Muslims have been invited, including eid festivals in 2001 and 2002 in conjunction with the Moonee Valley Council and Iftar evenings
> established Tae kwando and other self defence classes for women and girls
> arranged swimming and gym session for Muslim Women

Some of the ‘women only’ programs attract a large number of non-Muslim women and this provides an opportunity for interaction between different cultural and religious groups.

IGWG has set up free legal service program open to all Australians. This was done by enlisting the services of Muslim legal professionals to address the myriads of problems affecting people in low socio economic areas. IGWG has vigorously pursued its Australian vision of a clever country by committing itself to raising the educational standards of students from non- English speaking backgrounds, particularly those of low socio-economic profile and children of refugees and newly arrived migrants.

IGWG has done this by providing:
> tutorial services
> role models and mentors
> support that has enabled many Muslim women to improve their skills in key learning areas, including English, mathematics, science and IT
> education in legal matters
> information on health issues for women, youth and families.