Who We Are

AADO was established in 2002 by prominent Afghan-Australian; Dr Nouria Salehi, AM and Senior Citizen of the Year 2012, following many years of privately assisting Afghans to settle in Australia and raising funds to help families in Afghanistan

The Afghan Australian Development Organisation is a voluntary, nonprofit, non-government member organisation. Its primary purpose is to implement projects that assist in the reconstruction and sustainable development of communities within Afghanistan. Within Australia AADO seeks to support the Afghan community.

We are a not-for-profit association incorporated in Victoria and governed by a committee of management. We are registered as a local non-government organisation with the Afghan Ministry of Economics as Afghan Australian Development & Rehabilitation Organisation and we have a Memorandum of Understanding with the Afghan Ministry of Education.

AADO is:

  • registered with the ACNC
  • a member of the Australian Council for International Development and signatory to its Code of Conduct
  • registered with the ATO for Deductible Gift Recipient status meaning donations to AADO are tax deductible.

We do not currently receive funding from the Australian Government for our programs. Our longstanding and much-valued funding partners are or have been: Planet Wheeler Foundation, Cabrini Mission, D&K Foundation, Portland House Foundation and the Cubit Family Foundation. Thank you all!

We are one of the few Australian NGOs to work in only one country – Afghanistan.

We provide formal and informal education, training and professional skills, working with Afghan people to achieve their own priorities. Projects are managed by our Afghan team and field staff who are trusted and deeply linked to community networks. We are led by a large diaspora of Afghan Australians and know and respect Afghan culture and traditions.

We have a proven track record of high outcome, low-cost programs and close to 100% of our income is spent directly on projects. We do not tolerate corruption and all funds are sent from Australia and strictly accounted for.

Our Committee of Management and office bearers:

  • Jackie Fristacky AM, President
  • Homaira Mershedi, Vice President
  • Nouria Salehi, Executive Director
  • Jen Davis, Secretary
  • David Brennan, Treasurer
  • Assad Najeem, Committee Member
  • Tony Lister, Committee Member

We are based in Melbourne at PO Box 87, Ashburton Vic 3147.

Other contact details:

  • info@aado.org.au
  • www.aado.org.au
  • AADO postal address: PO Box 87, Ashburton Vic 3147

(View AADO Annual Reports).