Panel: What if the Problem Isn't Actually Confidence?
I have been a resident of Ivanhoe and Heidelberg for over 18 years and have forged many strong friendships and networks in this community.
While my family has had some of the usual new Australian experience, I have also had the opportunity to raise two wonderful, empathetic and self-motivated children. My daughter is currently in her last year of high school, while my son is undertaking tertiary studies.
Volunteering is my core belief in building functioning community and served on, various committees around the community including Ivanhoe Primary School, Kew High School, Ivanhoe Junior Football Club, as well as being a team manager for the Ivanhoe Knights Girls Basketball team and member of the committee of Somali Community Victoria and the Kew High Chaplaincy.
I also encourage my children to volunteer – my son is currently coaching the Ivanhoe Knights Basketball Club in a volunteer capacity. We are also active involved at the Simpson Army Barracks in JagaJaga. Encouraged my son and daughter to enrol in the Air Force Cadet program at the barracks, to show gratitude to our great servicemen and women. Through our continued presence, we endeavoured to help create and foster positive engagement between the Anzac ceremony at Greensborough RSL. and the community of JagaJaga. We understood the role and importance of the Barracks in our community, as well as the needs of our former service people and Veterans of War, as such we pledged our unconditional support to Veterans and their plight.
I have an Advanced Diploma in Building Design (Architectural) as well as a BA in Architecture and Built Environments. My qualifications have allowed me to work with well-respected Melbourne Architectural offices such as Peddle Thorp, Thomson and Adsetts and Pertridis Architects.
In 2012, I returned to Somalia for two years to work for the newly elected democratic Somali government on a UNICEF funded project. The project’s aim was to help rebuild government schools that had been destroyed during the Somali Civil War. As a senior member of the newly formed committee, I was given the responsibility to oversee the building of 73 new and old schools as well first university public. After my stay, I returned with a renewed zeal and immediately got back to work serving my community.
As a businessperson, the owner of ZAM Design which specialises in building design consultancy, I understand and feel the challenges many small business face in the covid19 era. It is my goal to support you all and offer my services in the fields of architecture and urban planning, in order to further enrich my community in its continued development.