Some young Sudanese migrants may have got a bad rap from Australian media, but only good news came from Africa Media Australia’s inaugural Victorian African Community Awards ceremony on December 7.
Whittlesea council officer Peter Ajak, 28, won the award for ‘youth leadership’, one of seven awards categories for individuals who were recognised for their invaluable contribution to their communities.
The gala dinner at Richmond was a far cry from the war-torn conditions Mr Ajak was subjected to, both in his birthplace Sudan and in an overpopulated refugee camp in Kenya that he left about 10 years ago.
As a child, Mr Ajak dreamed of becoming a cattle herder, a revered position among the Dinka people, a predominantly pastoral community living along the banks of the White Nile in Southern Sudan. But the second Sudanese civil war cut short his dreams, and his future in Sudan. Throughout the civil war, thousands of Dinka were massacred and millions were displaced.
Mr Ajak fled to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya as a nine-year-old and spent from 1992 until 2003 as a refugee living off a water ration and one meal a day. He arrived as a refugee in Australia in 2004, starting in year 10 at a school in Reservoir.
It wasn’t long before Mr Ajak began helping other refugees resettle in Australia.
For the past year, he has been with Whittlesea council as a youth worker for the culturally and linguistically diverse community in Thomastown, running sporting and cultural activities.
He volunteers as a broadcaster with 3ZZZ Community Radio (92.3FM) on Tuesday mornings and volunteers at Whittlesea Community Connections’ homework club. He’s also a reporter with Gazelle Media and is on the leadership committee of the local Sudanese community association.
Asked why he dedicates his spare time to others, Mr Ajak said: “When you do it with all your heart, you’re making a small contribution to the well-being of the community.”
