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Selba Gondoza Luka OAM celebrates her national honour with daughter Kwacha Luka. (Gary Sissons: 454933)
Helping heroes from schooling by the ruling Taliban regime. From personal hardships, Luka has built the Springvale South-based Afri-Aus Care into a pillar of the African Australian community. It has supported refugees and asylum seekers with culturally-sensitive counselling, mental health services, employment support and community sport. “I know a lot of women are suffering from family violence, kids go off the rails - it all happened to me. “My experience as mental health clinician and UBUNTU values helped me understand the situation people are facing. “It helped me to dig deeper into the African community.” Afri-Aus Care received double recognition, winning Community Group of the Year at the City of Greater Dandenong Australia Day Awards. For more on our community achievers, turn to pages 4, 6 and 7
Gulghotai Bezhan OAM has been recognised for her support for women locally and in Afghanistan. (Stewart Chambers: 454815)
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A pair of trailblazing women who have gone the extra mile to help others have been celebrated in national and local awards on Australia Day, Sunday 26 January. Selba Gondoza Luka and Gula Bezhan, who have founded far-reaching service organisations, were named as Medalists of the Order of Australia (OAMs). A trained doctor from Kabual, Bezhan founded Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria (AWOV) in 2009. As she settled in Australia, she set her mind on the path she is on today to make real changes and differences. “At the beginning we did volunteer work. We started with 10 women from Afghanistan and an Australian lady. It’s very big now. “Every night I look forward to tomorrow. “I told my mum this is similar to being a doctor.” Bezhan has also helped provide an education to girls in Afghanistan, who have been banned