The Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organisation NZ Trust
BRWONZ exists to support the Burmese Rohingya community in Aotearoa New Zealand, advocating for their rights, well-being, and social inclusion. Their mission is to empower Rohingya families to rebuild their lives with dignity and to ensure their voices are heard at both local and national levels.
The Trust primarily supports Rohingya former refugees who face significant challenges, including language barriers, limited digital and financial literacy, lack of familiarity with local systems, and intergenerational trauma. Many community members arrive in New Zealand with minimal formal education and limited access to culturally appropriate services.
BRWONZ provides practical settlement support, language and life skills workshops, and community advocacy. They also help families connect with health, education, and social services, while working to build community leadership and resilience.
While BRWONZ has been informally supporting its community for several years, it became more formally structured and active in the past 2–3 years as the Rohingya population in New Zealand grew.
As their activities expanded and more families settled in, the Trust needed help to strengthen its internal systems and build governance capacity to better serve the community.
The Trust faced challenges around financial reporting, understanding basic governance roles, and developing the capacity to apply for funding. They were also looking for guidance on structuring their work more sustainably.
BRWONZ was at an early stage of formal development, with strong grassroots engagement but limited governance infrastructure. They had a committed group of volunteers but needed foundational training and systems to grow effectively.
They were introduced to ANCAD through community networks and word of mouth, particularly from others involved in the Community Accounting Programme.
ANCAD provided access to the Community Accounting Programme, as well as tailored support in basic governance. The Trust also received guidance on how to manage finances and engage with funders. Support was delivered through a mix of in-person workshops and Zoom mentoring sessions.
Simplified financial templates, and explanations of board member roles were particularly valuable. Connections to other ethnic organisations helped build confidence and shared learning.
BRWONZ intentionally connected to the Noor Foundation during a networking session the Noor Foundation is also a Community Accounting Programme participant in early 2025. BRWONZ and Noor Foundation are now working together to support newly arrived families through shared resources, joint training workshops, and community events. They exchange templates, translate materials, and co-deliver sessions on basic life skills and system navigation.
It has enabled the Trust to extend its capacity by leveraging Noor Foundation’s experience. Rohingya families now have access to more frequent support sessions, and a broader range of community activities.
ANCAD’s support has built the Trust’s confidence to operate more formally, communicate with funders, and take on more ambitious goals. Their internal structure is stronger.
With stronger systems, BRWONZ can plan and deliver services more consistently, apply for funding with greater success, and advocate more effectively for their community’s needs. They have expanded their services to support a larger number of families and are currently working on a joint family wellbeing programme with the Noor Foundation. Their governance team is more structured and better equipped to handle funding and accountability processes.
BRWONZ describe ANCAD’s support as empowering, respectful, and accessible. The Trust particularly appreciated the patience and plain-language approach ANCAD used to explain complex systems. They strongly recommend ANCAD’s capability-building programme to other ethnic or refugee-led organisations, especially those that are early-stage and need support with systems and governance.
Their next step is to formalise more policies, secure long-term funding, and build more leadership capacity within their community. They hope to continue working with ANCAD through mentoring, access to workshops, and further networking opportunities.
