“We may look different, but on the inside, we are all the same.”
Northern Bay College is hosting an art and film exhibition at their senior campus to celebrate Refugee Week. College Captains Farzana Mohammad Aref and Ali Agha Walizada share their stories and invite the community to attend.
Farzana was born in Afghanistan but grew up in Kuwait, a place where, as a refugee, she lived under the constant fear of being sent back. In 2023, her family made the journey to Australia in search of safety and opportunity. Now a proud College Captain, she’s preparing for her next adventure: attending NASA Space Camp this July. “This exhibition matters because people need to understand a person’s background,” she says. “That’s how we build real empathy.”
Ali’s journey began in Afghanistan too. As a member of the Hazara ethnic minority, he and his family fled to Pakistan before resettling in Australia in 2016. Ali was also the recipient of the prestigious Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Youth Leadership Award. “We may look different,” Ali says, “but on the inside, we are all the same.”
Together, they invite the community to attend Freedom Without Borders, a powerful Refugee Week event that celebrates student voices through visual art and film. The exhibition showcases the personal journeys of young people from across the globe. Stories of courage, loss, transformation, and freedom.
Monday 23rd June
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Northern Bay College Goldsworthy Campus
Free Entry. All Welcome
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