One Wyndham

My name is Murad Mamiyo and I have been volunteering for the Wyndham Bright Young Leaders program since 2020. I am an active volunteer. I started with setting tables for the program and now I have become an organiser and started being the MC  for the program. By being a good role model there is many more future generations that are joining the program. Moreover, I have built my confidence and have understood more about Wyndham.

My community involvement is pi volunteer for the Wyndham Bright Young leader program and OWN group. I have built my confidence through this involvement and got the opportunity to get know with different people in Wyndham and the leaders of Wyndham in different roles like Josh Gilligan, Laurence Gray, Richard Dove. I also understand the value of involvement before I joined the Wyndham Bright Young leader program as I wasn’t confident to introduce myself before. Proudly now I am being a role model for others.

Currently, I am studying year 7 and volunteer for the Wyndham Bright young leaders and volunteer for OWN group sometimes if needed.

I am most passionate about soccer and my volunteering role for the community at moment.

I have contributed my skills and empowered others by playing the MC role and welcoming the Wyndham City Mayor Susan Mclntyre to pass a certificate for the WBYL graduates in 2022.

I can influence others by communicating with them by sharing my experience and stories with the community. I encourage the community to join the WBYL program where I developed my leadership skills and built my confidence and learnt a lot about Wyndham.

My hopes/dreams for the future is to be a profession soccer player and hopefully have a good career and then retire and become a judge in court.

I am a keen and eager individual and I am really passionate about growing public awareness on the effects of negative and positive mental health, exploring social justice and inclusive education.

I am an active member in my school and local community.

In 2021, I was invited to the Asia Pacific Youth Global Empowerment Forum on behalf of my school, to have a discussion with many schools across Australia and in East Asia about the global education structure and to express our concerns about the current worldwide education crisis.

My school runs a Year 10 Mentoring High Ability Outreach Program funded by the Department of Education (DET) which provides extension and enrichment opportunities to Grade 5 and 6 students from areas in rural and regional Victoria. The High Ability Outreach Program aims to:
Support and engage Grade 5 and 6 students to excel in Science, Tech and Engineering and to develop STEM-related skills and provide an extraordinary opportunity to further develop our leadership and mentoring skills and facilitate meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships between primary students and older like-minded students.

I am also part of the Student2Student Smith Family program, which encourages students in lower SES backgrounds to improve their reading with peer buddies, who help them understand and guide their way through a text.

At school, I get to rub shoulders with like-minded students who are passionate about volunteering and gender equality like myself. I have been participating in a wide range of activities to give back to my school and the wider community.

I enjoy participating in the different clubs that my school provides such as Leos Club and Interact Club sponsored by Rotary Australia (we aim to help the community through meaningful and fun projects). Taking part in these activities also allows me to learn new skills and meet new people.

I am passionate about inclusive education and giving students that access to education and opportunities. Accessible education creates a plethora of new opportunities for learners, which opens them to a whole new world and allows individuals to blossom and grow.

Everyone should be equipped with the set of skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a world full of opportunities, because everyone is entitled to education. It is the key to success because individuals are provided with the knowledge they can grasp onto for a brighter future.

I am part of the Executive Advisory Committee at the Victorian Student Representative Council, a student-led organisation that was created by students to be a voice for students at the highest levels of decision making in Victorian education.

My role as an Executive includes working collaboratively to create a more equitable education system in Victoria, developing leadership skills and understanding leading state-wide student-led advocacy/activities. I also represent Victorian students at the state level and advocate for positive change in education.

I am a Social Service representative for my class and this role gives me the opportunity to encourage my classmates and others in a positive way. I work with the Social Service network in my school, and we devise strategies to maximise student participation in exploring social issues and introduce the student community to projects and events that are relevant to social justice issues.

Some projects I’ve worked on are World Vision’s 40 Hour Famine, Percentage Waste Campaign and STEPtember, whilst also organising a fundraiser bake stall for the Leukaemia Foundation.
This year, I took part in the Grade 6 Mentoring Program which was an incredible experience to provide a comfortable space for Year 6s at the school to feel supported and build confidence during their transition to high school. As the transition was a significant change and was filled with many uncertainties, we focused on different topics like building connections and leadership.

I aspire to work with young people in my future. I love to help people and contribute to society because it gives me a sense of excitement and joy!

West Point Soccer Club is a non-for-profit community club run by Volunteers.

At the start of every season it is difficult to find coaches for every team particularly the Miniroo’s & Juniors.

Eijaz and Zaki have been playing soccer at the club for over than 6 years. When their 6-year-old brother joined the club brothers Eijaz and Zaki decided to coach his team together.

All the players in the Under 7’s team (6 and 7 year old’s) love coming to training and playing games on Sunday.

The kids in the team see Eijaz and Zaki as their big brother. Eijaz and Zaki are going to coach again in 2023 so the kids are delighted.

With both Eijaz and Zaki involved in coaching their little brother’s team, it allows eight 6 and 7 year old boys to have a team with two coaches and be able to play soccer and learn the game from two teenagers who have been involved with soccer for a long time and are still playing soccer with the under 13 team.

Both Zaki and Eijaz are passionate about soccer and they have been playing for a very long time. They both wanted to use their knowledge of the game and train young kids. They enjoy training the under 7’s team.

Every player in their under 7’s team sees them as a big brother and really connects with them. Every week the kids come to training excited and ready to train and improve.

Both Zaki and Eijaz train the kids twice a week for over an hour each time, as well as coaching the team for their Sunday morning game.

The children relate a lot to Eijaz and Zaki (due to their age) which boost their self esteem, confidence, emotional development and overall character.

Both Zaki and Eijaz provide a fun, high-quality soccer experience that encourages sportsmanship and a love of the game , in a safe and non-discriminatory environment. They both are fun and confident, passionate about soccer and really want to encourage kids to play soccer.

They both want to carry on coaching their brother's team next year as they still have so much to offer.

Growing up in India, Ganika, 16, recognised the disparity in the education system, marred by gross inequalities in access, Gender and class. She realised the combination of educational inequality and socioeconomic status created a vicious cycle, where low class citizens generally received low-quality education, the large social stratification, contrasting societies and complicated blends within society itself provided social enigmas, through her encounter she was able to recognise the disparities hiding with her immediate society.

As a result she lives by the mantra of “A more just world is not just a possibility; it is also an obligation, and it is up to you to put your beliefs into action for the welfare of all”-Ganika.

To carry out her obligation she has been an advocate and committed for the betterment of society. Eager to make a positive wave in her community, she participates in many organisations and fundraisers. A go-getter and a high achiever, she approaches every opportunity with dynamism and enthusiasm, striving for academic and personal growth.

My achievements, my successes and my accomplishments are the ones that give me a sense of happiness and pride. Whereas, my mistakes, my failures and setbacks make me strong. My achievements range in extracurricular and Another set of achievements that hold immense value to me is my involvement within the community.

Extracurricular activities are the part of a healthy and well rounded individual. I always take pride in participating in various extracurricular activities within and outside my school. There are a few extracurricular achievements I am extremely proud of such as:

Within the Community I am dedicated to numerous community groups in order to create a positive ripple in my immediate community:

• I am a One girl ambassador
• I have Started up superstition chapter within my school
• Conduct Free Carnatic singing classes for children
• I am equal ed tutor
• I am part of the VIC src committee
• I have contributed to the starlight foundation, Active April and 40 hour famine
• I Volunteer at Op shop
• I am a part of Letters against isolation
• I volunteer on behalf of dosomething.org

I currently volunteer 2 days a week with Edmund Rice services.

I also volunteer annually for the RSPCA where I have raised over $4,000 for animals in need.

Every October for the past 3 years I have completed the Great Cycle Challenge where I have raised $1,000 and rode over 500km for children fighting cancer.

Back in 2015 I cut 30min off my long blonde hair and donated that to AAAF to make wigs for kids with cancer and raised around $1,000.

Over my years of volunteering I have also worked with the local RSL raising money for War veterans and with St Vinnies where we raised money for homeless people.

In 2018 I went overseas to the Philippines for 2 weeks to volunteer in orphanages, at schools and with underprivileged youth and communities

I was nominated for the Victorian young achiever awards in 2018 and was the semi finalist in 2018. I also won the Lalor young hero award from Joanne Ryan and in 2018 the Mayoral Youth Award.

I currently work as a pre-kinder teacher at Guardian in Point Cook full time and volunteer 2 days a week with Edmund Rice Services.

I am most passionate about helping out those less fortunate in any way I can. I strongly believe that you can make a difference in people’s live’s by doing something as little as giving them a smile or asking how their day is going.

I have contributed to my community through my fundraising efforts over the years and by my current voluntary work.  

During my time at high school, I was the Senior Social Justice Captain. I organised and ran my own fundraisers and supported/assisted younger children in doing the same.

I have a strong interest in animals, keeping our environment clean (sustainability) and a passion for helping people to feel safe and have a sense of belonging in their community.

In my future I hope to continue volunteering as much as I can. I would love to volunteer at the Royal Children’s Hospital helping out sick children and supporting their families.

I am a teenager who is all about helping the community, my friends and family in any way possible!

Each year for the past 6 years I have contributed to the Good Friday Appeal to raise money for the RCH.

For the past 3 years I have been a junior firefighter at the Werribee fire brigade. We train at Galvin park once a week to compete in competitions all around the state in summer seasons and learn all about fire theory at the Werribee CFA during the winter seasons.

Im currently in the process of started a recruitment course to become an operation volunteer fire fighter with the Wyndham Vale Fire Brigade, which means in the oncoming months I will be able to achieve my long wanted dreams of helping the community and protecting lives and properties around the area.

I’m definitely most passionate about helping the community. Whether it’s through firefighting or just being a good friend or family member. Other than helping others and being passionate about firefighting i’m also very passionate to grow my small online business I have created selling personalised gifts.

Each year for the past 6 years I have contributed to the Good Friday Appeal to raise money for the RCH.

Volunteering with the CFA is a step in the right direction to help my community and I hope other young people see it as something they might like to do one day.

I have worked since I was 15 years old and trained as a junior fire fighter since I was 12 so I have learnt many skills that I can use throughout my life like team work, good communication.

My dream is to continue helping everyone around me by becoming a Paramedic after I finish school and go to University.

I also would love to start a support group for young teenagers and young adults to help support them with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

I am passionate about racial equality. I have contributed to my community and plan on changing society as a whole through education. I am hoping that by sharing my own story, it would help you see how passionate, kind-hearted, and dedicated I am.

I have recently joined VicSRC. I have volunteered in the youth group at my local church occasionally to help clean up Wyndham. I have helped my church raise money for charities to provide the homeless a better life thorough Caritas Australia.

I have worked as a tutor for primary and pre primary school kids where I was not only able to educate young students but also teach them the importance of education.

I am a current student who is passionate about making a difference in this community environmentally and spirtually.

Throughout my time in high school, I have been on the Student Representative Council. This has allowed me to start fundraisers within my class to raise money for people in need, attend weekly meeting with Year Level Coordinators and other SRC’s to discuss issues in our school community and how we can overcome these issues.

I am passionate about many things but most importantly racial equality. We should start with understanding the nature of the issue, which mostly consists of structural racism: hierarchies built up over centuries and still present today in everything from housing to education to workforce representation. The way forward is to recognize and combat racism systemically by dismantling it through design thinking methodologies.

I want to leave a positive impact on those around me and make a difference in the world. The best way I can do that is by influencing the younger people around me in a positive manner. I do that by being kind towards them. Whether they are younger or older than me, it doesn't matter because every day people are looking for ways to improve themselves and their lives.

I have skills such as communication skills that I have obtained from public speaking.

People can still help contribute to an inclusive, thriving community in their everyday lives without having specific sills or talents. For example, volunteering can be as simple and easy as spending time with people who don't get to do anything else, chatting to them about their day or finding out what they like to do. Simplistic acts like offering someone a drink of water or just having a chat with them can make all the difference. Another way everyone can contribute to an inclusive, thriving community is by going out on the streets with a smile on your face and saying hello to everyone you see, this will start positive conversations that may lead onto something more interesting or fun.

Often when we think of racism, we think of adults prejudicing against people of other races. However, throughout my 16 years in this country I have seen people of all ages being racist towards all races and cultures and one in four young children are racially prejudice and two-thirds of them will carry these attitudes into adulthood.

I think it’s important in the future for young children to be taught the effect and the hurtfulness of being racist so that they don't grow up with these awful prejudices. The average child will spend more than 1,000 hours of screen time in a year which shows that most of their information about the world comes from media. One possible approach is by designing a series of children's apps that combat racism as children play.

I hope to attend University and study a bachelor’s degree in the health field and one day open my own non-for-profit tuition for students that are eager to learn but can’t afford to pay for education.  

Is a local emerging artist and is passionate about the arts. Urlik has experience in the creative arts as an actor, model and singer; and is currently starting his journey as a professional dancer.

His journey started in Uganda where he was in multiple dance crews and performed with well known artists in Uganda. He was 10yrs old when he started dancing and he hasn’t stopped since.

As an artist Urlik believes you always have expectations but sometimes it doesn’t go as you planned and the entertainment industry is very competitive so it’s hard to know exactly where you belong. Acknowledging myself as an emerging artist helps guides this journey towards success; I hope to find my place in the industry whilst building a foundation, working towards my craft and finding my voice.

Urlik completed L2R's Emerging Leaders program in 2021 - Igniting Legends and is now employed by L2R as an Emerging Artist at the Next Gen Wyndham, Next Gen Braybrook and Western English Language School (WELS) Hip Hop activities programs.

Urlik just won Brimbank's Africa's Got Talent. Africa’s Got Talent is an amazing youth talent quest unleashing the best of African Australian creative talents.

Through hip-hop/street dance, L2R offers culturally safe, creative spaces for young newly arrived, refugee and diverse artists and participants unable to access commercial dance and arts leadership opportunities due to social and/or financial barriers. L2R is led by the voices of the people it co-creates with, moves with and advocates for; Australia’s future creative protagonists. L2R’s distinction is its ability to draw from Hip-Hop culture to empower and critique social issues affecting young people in Melbourne’s West as they author their creative agency.

Urlik is passionate about the arts reflecting contemporary Australia and advocating for young people and artists from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and celebrating their contribution to our cultural lives. He is a leader in his community and is well respected by the street dance community and believes in the power of dance and music as social capital.

Urlik is a role model for new arrivals and young African males in his community/ as well as the wider street dance community.

Through his work at L2R, Urlik supports new arrivals by providing access to students at WELS to attend L2R's free dance programs.

L2R gives everyone involved the rare opportunity to step away from their everyday lives and family commitments to immerse themselves in their love for creativity, common freedom, dance and emergent professional pathways.

Urlik is a leader in his community and not only supports other new arrivals access arts programs, but also inspires them by seeing a young African male represented on stage.

Frankleen Newah-Jarfoi is an Athlete and had a very successful year. He is currently the Victoria Men's Under 18's Champion in 100 and 200 meters with a personal best of 10.69 and 22.00 second respectively. He is also the Long jump champion with a leap of 7.09m.

He was selected to represent Team Victoria at the just concluded National Athletics Championship were he came 4th in both the 100 and 200m sprints and second in the 4x100m relay . He has been selected to represent Australia in the Oceania Games in June 2022 in Mackay Queensland.

Frankleen is involved in the Western Athletics Club as an athlete and volunteer an he is also the group team Leader of the Vibe athletics team. As a member of the Western Athletics Club he was part of team that helped to promote the club into the Victoria Division one category after winning the Division 2 category.

Frankleen is presently in year 12 preparing for his VCE examination. He was attending the Good News Lutheran College but was given a sporting Scholarship at Caulfield Grammar where he is currently preparing for his exams.

He is the Youth leader of the Sierra Leone Friendship Association (SLAFA) where he worked with the youth of that community on different community project especially around healthy eating, exercise and above all their safety.

Frankleen is passionate about sports, social justice, community cohesion and development.

Frankleen and his colleague participate in the Clean up Australia Day where they cleaned up the surrounding of the church and its neighbourhood

Frankleen’s positive attitude has influenced many of his peers in the Sierra Leone community. He has influence a lot of young people to take up athletics and other sporting discipline as a way of diverting their energy into something positive and keep them away from trouble. As a result Team Vibe Athletics group is made of 80% of Multicultural youths through his influence which has also helped to increase the number of cohorts in the Western Athletics Club.

He hopes to complete his VCE and aspire to complete his university studies and ultimately represent Australia in the Olympics and Commonwealth games. Also hopes to Play either the American Football (NFL) or Australia national Rugby League (NRL)

Ikram is passionate about increasing young people’s access to opportunities and to expand their horizons and break barriers. That is why she has launched The Beginning Project.

The Beginning Project is an online resource platform which started as an idea to ease the anxiety of entering young adulthood and provide resources and opportunities specific to living in the West side of Melbourne. We aim to be a one-in-all guide for young adults to help them achieve their ambitions and future life goals. Our vision is to ultimately help young people navigate the next chapter of their lives by providing easy access to volunteer and scholarship opportunities, sharing career journeys to educate and inspire new outlooks in life paths, as well as providing useful resources to overcome the stress many young people experience growing up. https://thebeginningproject.com/

In 2021, Ikram participated in the Young Innovators Program, a 6 months mentoring program run by Equal Ed in partnership with Wyndham City Council and Brimbank City Council. Ikram launched The Beginning Project in the showcasing event and her project won the third place and $1000 prize to spend on the next phase of her project. She is currently expanding her connections with young people in Wyndham and Wyndham workers with young people to pack the website with resources and opportunities.

Ikram is currently a third-year student studying a Bachelor of Public Health, specialising in health promotion and she is completing a Youth traineeship with CMY. She is currently working on planning and delivering programs catered to young multicultural women and expanding their experiences in leadership and governance.
Ikram is passionate about connecting with young people within her community to hear their aspirations and challenges and essentially support them to live fulfilling lives through creating safe and welcoming environments for them to connect to opportunities and thrive.

Ikram’s The Beginning Project is a tool that brings young people, youth workers and funding bodies together, in an all in one place to help young people connect with meaningful opportunities and expand their social capital. It is a space for youth workers to promote their programs and identify the gaps in the services in the region to support young people. The initiative also promotes good stories that will influence young people by increasing access and participation in opportunities.

Coming from a diverse background, she understands the issues experienced by refugee and migrant young people well, she has the ability to create a safe space with her peers to discuss these topics and lead the way to positive changes.

Ikram once mentioned:

As I grew up, I witnessed the microaggressions and dismissiveness that people that looked like me faced. When I discussed this with young people of colour around me, especially at school, we felt as if we were all clumped into a box - unable to fully express ourselves without fear of judgement. We would bounce off ideas of why we thought this happened. The main ideas that always arose were lack of representation and lack of understanding of intersectionality. ‘If people never interacted with Africans and only saw us on the news when something bad happens, this only reinforces negative perceptions of us. This thought my friend shared really stuck with me. As a young person myself, I feel like I have the responsibility to help change this ‘norm’ and create an inclusive society where all multicultural youth are accepted and championed in their lives.

Ikram hopes to further expand her career in the health promotion/ community development field through volunteering and developing her experience in the field. She hopes for a Wyndham with better access to opportunities for young people who need guidance and support.

Asha is a kind-hearted and accomplished community-orientated leader, who is committed to the betterment of society. Fervent about creating positive ripples within the community, she is involved in an array of organisations and fundraisers. A go-getter and high achiever, she approaches every opportunity in a vibrant and enthusiastic manner, striving for professional and personal growth.

In 2020, I pioneered and executed the inaugural Christmas Food Drive for the Werribee Heathdale community to donate to. Unfortunately, food insecurity has intensified in light of COVID-19, with 5% of Australians facing food insecurity and 40% of those facing it at a severe level. Wanting to help aid and resolve this prevalent issue, I decided to proactively organise and run a Food Drive, to support local families and individuals. Through generous donations, roughly 280 products were donated to Food Bank Victoria.

Aligned with my goal of continuing and growing the Food Drive, in 2021, I once again lead and coordinated the event. That year, we welcomed donations from both the Werribee Campus (Kinder - Year 12) and Melton Campus (Prep - Year 8), and as the fundraiser grew, so did the team, welcoming four additional people to the team. Exceeding our goal of 500, we raised more than 1,000 donations, which went towards supporting those within our community during Christmas!

In 2021, I was approached by my peers to join and co-lead a student-led team, to fundraise for childhood illnesses and diseases. The fundraiser included the sale of homemade, wellbeing-related products for the school community to purchase, under the premise of contributing to the wellbeing of others while getting some self-care items for themselves. Doubling our original target of $1,000, we raised $2,000, which went to Starlight Children’s Foundation, to help grant ‘Starlight Wishes’ and hopefully provide a well-deserved positive distraction to the children and their families.

At Heathdale Christian College and Alamanda K-9 College, I had the honour of serving as the House Captain and in the House’s respective Leadership Team, three times (2016, 2018 and 2022). Under these roles, I was responsible for organising the house and relating events, as well as ensuring that as a representative and as a role-model to my peers, I acted in a way that would positively influence and encourage people.

Being the recipient of several awards within school, including the Principal's Award and Good Fellowship Award, I have been recognised for my services to the community and as a leader. Further, I have participated in an array of extra-curricular activities, such as General Knowledge Team, Year 12 Jacket Design Team, College Choir, Science Talent Search, CSEN Inter-School Debating Competition and as a cast-member in Musical Productions (Beauty and the Beast & Sound of Music).

In 2021, I was employed to work as a Marketing and Innovations Intern for Patties Foods. Within my internship, it was my responsibility to lead a market insight research project to gather and analyse macro insights and data that helped provide future direction for new product development for the company.

Regarding voluntary work, I was a Junior Coach for a Girl's Football Team. I helped girls aged 4 to 7 years, gain confidence, and empowered and encouraged them to try their best, as they learnt, developed, and practised their AFL skills. This initiative was affectionately named the 'Sparkles' program and aimed to teach them the fundamental skills of AFL, in a smaller group, so their skills could develop, with more one-on-one guidance. In 2021, I had the privilege of one-one-one interviewing AFLW superstar Tayla Harris regarding inequality within the sporting industry. We discussed the progressive changes and reforms being made, and how they promote equality while also empowering more people to participate. Furthermore, we discussed additional measures and efforts that can be taken to further help quash inequality both internally within the industry and on a wider scope. This conversation provided insightful advocation for gender equality within sports and wider Australia, while also bringing further awareness to the issue.

I began volunteering at Messy Church in 2017. Here we welcome and connect with all people. We engage them in experiences and activities, that teach and explore good morals and values. In 2021, I was appointed as a Leader at Messy Church. This required me to fulfil similar roles and tasks, though at a more senior level. This experience has provided me with opportunities to connect with and meet people within the Wyndham community.

My passion for travel has allowed me to immerse myself in the culture of the respective country I am visiting. I love experiencing the food, the culture and learning about the history and heritage of different places. Travelling, whether it be intra-state, domestic or international, has enabled me to grow in appreciation for the world and those within it.

I also really enjoy creating. Whether it be cooking, baking, designing, writing or art, I love using my creativity and finding unique ways to problem-solve and think through these avenues.

Through my proactive community engagement, I aim to create a positive impact and help those within my community. Whether it be a small or significant impact, it nonetheless creates a positive one within the life of someone. I am proud to have spearheaded an initiative dedicated to providing food and grocery relief to those experiencing food insecurity. Likewise, I am proud to have been a part of a team involved in providing some much-deserved support to those experiencing childhood illnesses and their respective families. I hope that our efforts have at least supported them and brought some relief.

As previously mentioned, I have been involved in multiple organisations that have provided me opportunities to connect with, serve and influence members of the Wyndham community. I hope that through being involved in these activities, I lead by example and in doing so, motivate and empower others to be involved in and advocate for social issues that they consider significant.

Through my community engagement, I believe that I am dedicated to and passionate about creating ripples of kindness and compassion within our community. Through connecting with people, I have seen a growth in my communicational and social skills, which has heightened my confidence and encouraged an open mindset. I have demonstrated leadership qualities within a variety of my ventures, both within my school life and external community. I have found that through these activities my collaborative and team-relating skills have continued to develop. Additionally, I believe that I use my creativity and problem-solving skills to find unique ways to resolve issues or, minimise them with my planning and organisational skills. I hope that my skills contribute to upholding an inclusive and thriving Wyndham community.

I aspire to get an ATAR score that will satisfy the requirements to enrol into a double degree course at university, with the intent of fulfilling my goal of becoming a lawyer.