TRANSCRIPT
One of the many community heroes awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia is Abla Tohamy Kadous.
"I'm President of the Islamic Women's Welfare Association as well as an Islamic Studies Teacher and Quran teacher. I have another role, which is being an adopted mother to many women in need."
She's responsible for setting up Australia's first welfare service for Muslim women.
"Being a migrant myself, I experienced the hardship. As you arrive in a new country, you don't know the language, you don't know different cultures and then how you're going to earn your living."
Providing food vouchers and employment support for migrants from Gaza is one of many services currently offered by Abla and her team.
"We felt how hard it is for them to survive. So we organised so many activities to collect for them furniture, and we also, whatever they need. Clothes. They had nothing, they came with the clothes on their back."
Now 70, supporting women to find their feet continues to bring Abla great joy.
"When I talk to them, and I feel that my simple talk, just listening to them and give them the smallest advice, it changes their lives. And that's what keeps me going."
For another Medal of the Order of Australia recipient, Malawi-born Selba-Gondoza Luka, the recognition came as a complete surprise.
"I never, never thought I would receive this highest honour. To tell you the truth, I was in a shock. I'm still in a shock that my name will have OAM. It's unbelievable."
Ms Luka is CEO of Afri-Aus Care, a Melbourne-based community organisation founded to empower African and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Australians.
One of the many programs Selba runs with Afri-Aus Care is the Black Rhinos Program.
It uses sports, particularly basketball and soccer, to support African Australian young people at risk of being caught up in the criminal justice system.
"So these young men, when they come to us, we don't concentrate much what they have done, but the plans for the future, finding them jobs. How they can relate positively with their significant others, or how they can become mentors for other men."
She says she's motivated by seeing the ripples of positive change these men are now creating in the community.
"Some of them are working on department of justice projects as mentors. Some of them are working in schools. Like Fraser, he's now working in three different schools supporting young people. So people have been empowered, mentored, they are mentors themselves. And above all, most of them are employed at Afri-Aus Care, and I'm proud to be surrounded by young people who are doing great."
Marietta Martinovic is another Medal of the Order recipient.
She's also committed to breaking cycles of incarceration through her work leading a prison exchange program called Inside Out, brining RMIT students together with people in custody to study criminology alongside one another as peers.
Engagement with those inside continues after prisoners are released, and Ms Martinovic says she's seeing substantial long term positive impacts.
"People see themselves as change-makers. People stop feeling lonely, they stop feeling worthless. And those are incredibly important qualities for those coming out of custody. You feel your voice matters, your experience matters."
She says the honour of receiving a Medal of the Order of Australia is one she shares with all of those she works with.
"It really brought tears to my eyes, even to be considered for an Australian Honour. I'm really passionate about inclusion, about including the voices of those with lived experience, and really bettering their lives. And therefore, bettering society."
